Daggers and Love
by Sensula
Summary: AU. Katara was trained as an assassin from the time she was 5. Now, to pass into womanhood, she must undertake a special mission. Got to the Fire Nation and kill Fire Lord Zuko. Is complete.
1. Prologue

Katara finished her prayer to Ethna, her patron goddess, and lifted her head. She looked at the lifeless face of the goddess' statue. The goddess smiled back at her as if giving Katara encouragement. Ethna was dressed in a gown of white with a small bag at her waist. Legends said that she was the goddess of assassins and mercenaries, often posing as a human to kill evil people.

When Katara had chosen her patron at the age of 5, which every child was required to do on their birthday, she had no idea she had picked the most deadly of the goddesses. She had chosen her because of the kind smile and the secrets hidden behind the eyes. Once she had chosen her patron, she'd been called aside by the Elders.

"You have chosen a patron that no one has selected in centuries," one of the old men said.  
Katara sat on the pillow in front of them and said, "Why? She looks so pretty and nice."

"Because Goddess Ethna is the most dangerous goddess out of any of the beings," a woman answered. "We don't put her with the others being chosen for patrons because of that fact. I don't know how she appeared with the others, but if you wish to choose another-"

"No," Katara said. "I like Ethna. I'm keeping her." She said it as if she were talking about a cute kitten she'd found. The Elders had nodded and then trained her for 13 years to steal, lie, and kill. Now, they gave her her first solo mission as she had come of age.

Katara stood up and looked at the dagger in her hand. The hilt was red with black binding and the butt of the weapon was adorned with the emblem of the Fire Nation. Her name was etched into the blade. Usually, a person would receive this type of knife when they became of age. But, in the Water village, the hilt would be blue and silver with the Water emblem at the end. She carried this knife, though, for her mission.

Katara closed her hand around the dagger. She bowed and said, "Ethna, my patron goddess, I ask that you protect and watch over me on this mission I am about to undertake." They were words she had uttered efore, bu she hoped Ethna was listening closely to this one.

With the prayer sent, Katara turned and left the small niche and waited by the large front doors for the elders to finish their prayers to the other gods. It always made her curious as to why the most dangerous of the gods would have the smallest area in the entire temple. Then again, Katara was the only one who had her as a patron, so the goddess didn't need that much room.

She didn't have to wait long. The doors opened and the Elders walked out of their prayer room. Katara knelt and bowed her head in respect. The men and women surrounded her.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe and daughter of Hakoda," a man said. "Your mission, that will mark your transition into womanhood, is to go to the Fire Nation and secure a position in the Royal guard. Your goal; to kill the Fire Lord Zuko, the enemy of our kind."

"You must succeed," said a woman, "In any way possible. Even if that means you must seducing him and kill him in bed."

Katara bowed her head even farther so her face was obscured by her hair. "I accept this mission and will succeed in the name of the Southern Water Tribe."


	2. Chapter 1: Getting In

Before the story begins, I would like to say thank you to those who reviewed. And I would like to answer a question I was asked.

Ethna, Katara's patron goddess, was actually a young queen in a fairy tale I once read long ago. She had been taken by a Fairy King on the night of her wedding feast. It is a wonderful tale to share around the campfire and I recommend people look it up.

Well, now that I've cleared that up, please enjoy the next part of my first story. And please review if you have any suggestions or questions, I will be more than happy to receive them. Thank you.

Katara watched as the Fire Nation shore drew near. It was just as she had remembered it from her last mission here. She had been 10 and working with a group of spies to find out battalion movements during the war. Though that had been years ago, and the war was over, the city didn't look any different.

There were bright and dark red buildings with black roofs and shutters lining the streets. People crowded the streets and docks, making a bright sea of red, black, gold, and dark orange. They looked like a live, blazing fire in their bustling about.

The ship Katara stood on docked into port and the gangplank was lowered. She smoothed her sweating palms over her red tunic and fiddled with the material of her red trousers. It was ridiculous for her to feel nervous about a mission, as she had been on dozens before this. But very few operative actually got over the feeling that this mission could be their last.

"Miss Katara," the captain said, coming up to her. "We've docked. Now, I know the city is a big adjustment to a Fire Nation Colonial like yourself, but just use common sense and you'll be able to survive."

Katara slipped her messenger bag over her head and settled it on her shoulder. She turned to the captain and said, "Where is the forces station?"

The man looked at her oddly, but answered. "Just down the street three blocks, turn left, and it's the first building on the right. But why would you want to join the forces? A pretty girl like you should think about settling down with a hansom man." He smiled crookedly. "A man like me, for instance."

Katara kept herself from shuddering in revolution at his breath, but smiled kindly. "I thank you for the offer, sir, but I would like to serve my nation to the best I am capable of."

The man snorted. "Then I wish you luck and hope you don't die."

Katara nodded and departed from the ship. The moment her new Fire Nation shoes touched down on the docks, she was no longer Katara of the Southern Tribe. She was Katara of the Fire Nation Colonies, a young woman hoping to enter the Nonpareil; the best of the best and the Fire Lord's personal elite forces.

She made her way through the crowd and up the street. Vendors called their wares and tried to convince her to buy jewelry, scarves, combs, and other trinkets. Katara politely refused, passing the booths. She had only a little Fire Nation money left from her trip.

As she turned onto the street the captain had told her to go to, she noticed a large line of men waiting to get into the station. She scanned the line. There were couple of really young boys, but most were men in their late teens, early twenties. It looked like she'd be standing in line for a while. Her stomach growled angrily at her. She'd skipped lunch on the ship. Gruel didn't really satisfy her; especially sea gruel.

Katara looked around and noticed a booth selling fire flakes. When she had been here last, she had been the only one in her group who couldn't get enough of them. Even though they were hot, she had eaten at least 5 bags before the mission was over. Fire flakes were a popular snack in the Fire Nation.

Katara thought of something and walked over to the booth while the idea began to form in her mind. "One bag, please," she said to the vendor. As she handed over the money, the vendor scooped fresh flakes into a paper bag. "Thank you," she said, taking the bag. She got in the waiting line, and popped a flake in her mouth. Her tongue began to burn slightly, but she only smiled.

A young man man turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. No doubt wondering what she was doing in the line. "Hi," Katara said, popping in another flake. She extended the bag toward him. "Want some? I got too much by accident."

The man took a small handful and dropped some into his mouth. "I'm Katara. I'm from the Fire Nation Colonies," she said, smiling and offering her other hand.

The man returned the smile. "Jack," he said, shaking her hand. "You going into the army?"

Katara shook her head. "Nope. I'm trying to get into the Nonpareil."

Jack whistled. "It's hard enough for the men to get into the Nonpareil squad. The women who have tried, have all failed. I wish you luck."

"Thanks," Katara munched on a flake. "What are you going in for?"

Jack chuckled. "Same thing, actually. I've been waiting in this line for so long, I forgot lunch. Thanks for the flakes. I was starving." He smiled at someone over her shoulder. She was about to turn when a hand appeared over her shoulder and grabbed a handful of fire flakes.

"Hey," she said, turning around. She frowned up at the face of a man that looked exactly like Jack, except he had a freckle above his left eye. Katara felt the impulse to take the flakes back, they were her favorite snack, after all, but just smiled. Being selfish was just plain rude and she needed people on her side.

"Thanks for the flakes," he said. "I'm Gawain, Jack's more sexy and charming twin brother."

Katara looked over at Jack, who rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I'll take your word for it." She put another handful of flakes in her mouth.

"Gawain's gonna try to get into the Nonpareil, as well," Jack explained.

His brother looked down at her with surprised eyes. "You in the Nonpareil?" He threw back his head and laughed, drawing the attention of others in the line. Katara looked at Jack, who read the look in her eyes and nodded. She handed him the bag of flakes, turned, grabbed Gawain's arm, and flipped him onto his back.

The men in the line laughed. Katara placed her foot on his shoulder and said, "I think I can handle myself, Gawain." He nodded and she helped him to his feet.

He rubbed his shoulder and chuckled. "Gives a new meaning to falling head over heals, doesn't it?" Katara laughed.

Suddenly, three large soldiers dressed in red tunics, leather black vests, and red trousers, their hands covered in fingerless gloves, stepped out of the building. Everyone stopped their conversation and watched as the large men walked down the line. Their eyes settled on Jack, Gawain, and Katara. The leader pointed at them and said, "You three are to be tested for the Nonpareil squad. Your first order...run."

Katara didn't need to be told twice. She turned and sprinted down the street. The sound of feet pounding on the street followed her. She ducked down an alley and crouched down behind a barrel. The soldier passed, giving Katara a few seconds to evaluate what was happening. The soldier had said they were to be tested. This must be the test. So, the next question was-How do you pass the test? There were a couple of solutions that she thought of as she swiftly scanned the area.

One, she could turn herself in to the soldiers, which would probably fail her. Two, she could avoid the soldiers. Three, she could turn around and leave the Fire Nation all together. The first would definitely hinder her mission and the third was unacceptable. If she went home empty handed, she would be dishonored and be shunned by her friends and family. No, number three was unacceptable. So, number two was the only solution.

Sighing, Katara stood and looked around before dashing out of the ally. She walked down the street, keeping an eye out for any of the soldiers, just like she use to do years ago. She'd been the look out for most of their operations, and, walking these streets, she remembered all the twists and turns she'd taken. If she remembered right, three doors to her left and one to the right was a tea shop that served the best white jasmine tea in the city.

Katara headed that way and noticed flyers posted on the buildings. Some announced that the Fire Nation Forces needed recruits. That explained the long line. And the flyers that announced the up coming Summer Solstice Fire Festival explained all the vendors and booths along the streets.

Katara stopped and smiled up at the tea shop. The Ginseng Dragon was a sister shop to The Jasmine Dragon in Ba Sing se. The retired General Iroh owned both establishments, traveling between the two for visits to his nephew, the Fire Lord. But the Water Tribe spies never held that against him. Iroh never knew what they truly were. He just saw them as regular customers visiting from the Fire Nation Colonies and would always have time to chat with them over a cup of tea. She wondered if he would remember her.

She walked into the shop and was immediately seated by a hostess in a red robe. Katara picked up the menu and quickly scanned it. Nothing had changed form the last time she was there, so she used her time to look around the shop.

I was still painted in the colors of the Fire Nation, except the walls were now covered in paintings of beautiful landscapes and portraits of Iroh and other people, all smiling happily. One caught her eye, but it was hardly visible since one could only see it from Katara's seat in the back of the tea shop. It was a little girl, her hair pulled into a half topknot, and she was smiling widely, a few teeth missing in her childish grin. The girl looked familiar, but her view was blocked by a wall of dark red.

She looked up into the smiling face of a older aged man with a grey pointy beard. He was carrying a wooden tray holding a tea pot and two cups. Katara smiled back as she realized who was standing there. "Is this seat taken?" the man asked. "I would very much like to enjoy a friendly chat with a beautiful woman."

Katara giggled. "Please, Iroh. I would also like to enjoy a chat. It has been so long since I have seen you."

Iroh set the tray down and sat across from her. As he poured, he said, "I have not seen you for 8 years. You were here with your family, I remember, and you loved my white jasmine tea." He handed her a cup and smiled softly. "You have blossomed into a beautiful young woman. I still remember you as a young girl running around and sneaking into the back kitchen to watch me make tea."

She accepted the cup. "I was always just waiting for you to shoo me out," she said. She sipped her tea and sighed as the heat settled in her stomach. "The one thing I missed most of all about the city is your tea, Iroh. This and the-"

Iroh pushed a bowl forward and finished her sentence, "Fire flakes."

Katara chuckled and nodded. "Yes, fire flakes. They don't make them back at the colonies like they do here." She resisted the urge to flinch at how easily the lie fell off her lips. She'd always hated lying to Iroh. He was such a sweet man.

He chuckled as he sipped his own tea. Once Iroh set his tea down, he looked up at her and asked, "What are you doing back in the main land?"

Katara smiled. "I've come to join the Nonpareil. I've been training hard to get into the squad ever since I returned home." It wasn't a total lie. She had been training hard, just not directly to get into the squad. That she knew of.

Iroh's eyes widened. "The Nonpareil? Are you certain? Not many make it."

Katara met his eyes. "I'm certain, Iroh. I just know I'm suppose to be in that squad."

Iroh nodded in understanding. "Then I wish you all the happiness," he said. The doors to the tea shop opened and the three soldiers walked in. Two of the soldiers were holding the collars of Gawain and Jack. The other soldier was scanning the room, his eyes landing on her. "And it looks as if you are the last to be collected."

Katara finished her tea and smiled at Iroh. "I have enjoyed this visit, Iroh. Maybe if I am still here after training, we can visit again?"

Iroh smiled back, squeezing her hand. "That would make me very happy, Katara." She felt tears form in her eyes. Hearing her name from him brought back fond memories.

She nodded. "Will do, Iroh." She reached into her bag for payment for the tea, but he waved it off. She smiled again and walked up to the soldiers. "I believe you have found me, captain. And I must thank you for taking so long. It gave me a chance to catch up with an old friend."

Katara noticed his gaze dash to Iroh then back to her. She turned and waved good-bye to Iroh before following the soldiers out of the shop. They made their way back to the station, the captain in the front and the two behind him. Jack, Gawain, and Katara walked between the soldiers; Katara walking between the twins.

"You know General Iroh?" Gawain asked.

Katara looked at him. "I use to go to that tea shop everyday when my family and I visited a few years ago. He's a kind man."

"But you know him enough to have tea with him," Jack said.

Katara laughed. "Iroh loves having company and tea with anyone who's good at Pai Sho. That's how I met him. He played against my cousin and we became fast friends." She smiled and said, "How did you guys get caught?"

"We were doing fine," Gawain said, defensively.

"Until we took a wrong turn," Jack added.

"And they cornered us," Gawain put in.

"We fought back."

"But they won."

"Then they went searching for you, dragging us along."

"And we found you in the tea shop."

"Though we almost missed you."

They said the last in unison. Katara had been looking at each twin as they'd spoken and now felt dizzy from going back and forth between them.

"Okay," she said. "Next time you guys talk, don't stand on opposite sides of me."

They laughed, but stopped as they reached the forces station. The line was gone. The small group walked through the doors and to the back. The captain turned to them, leaning against a table, crossing his arms.

"Your test," he said, "Was to avoid us or fight back. Many fail this because they just suck at fighting or they hide like dogs. You boys know how to fight. Just a little more training and you'll be perfect. You, girl," he turned his gaze to her. "You know what you're doing. We posed as a threat and you avoided us. And not just that, but you were in complete public view. That is a hard thing to accomplish." The captain smiled. "Welcome to the Nonpareils." Katara smiled and bowed, her fist under her hand.

The first part of their mission was over. She had gained a position close to the Fire Lord. Now, all she had to do was kill him. Great. Just. Great.


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting The Team

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Original characters are property of me.**

After hours of physical check ups, uniform measurements, weapons and fighting testing, and interviews, Katara and her new twin friends were led to a barrack building. Each were holding two sets of grey trainee uniforms, a pair of shoes, and bags holding their possessions. They would be trained and tested further until it was decided if they were ready to join the ranks of the Nonpareil squad.

The door to the barracks opened and the captain that had tested them smiled down at them. "Ah, fresh meat," he said. Katara rolled her eyes at the threatening tones. She'd heard worst from a platypus-bear. He smiled and said, "I'm the captain of this squad. My name's Breber."

As the three newbies entered the barracks further, they saw the other two guards that had tested them. The taller one chuckled as if hearing a funny joke. The other one rolled his eyes and went back to his whittling. "Niceros is the one chuckling like an idiot. Riom whittles so much, he has sawdust covering his blankets," Breber said before walking away. That was it for introductions, it seemed.

Breber stopped next a set of bunk beds that had been pushed against the wall. The room wasn't big, so they were pushed together so the ladder looking ends touched. "Choose a bunk and change into your uniforms. We'll be heading to dinner soon," he said before heading over to the other men. Apparently, talking wasn't a huge talent of these men.

Katara dumped her stuff onto the bottom bunk and stretched. Jack dropped his own stuff on the bottom bunk next to her. "You better not snore. I might go deaf in the middle of the night," she said. Gawain chuckled above them as he laid down on his bunk.

She looked around, searching for a place to change. She saw a door in the back, barely visible because it blended with the wall. If Breber had wanted her to change privately, he would have told her. This was a subtle clue of the beginning of every trainee's hazing.

It looked like she was going to have to strip in front of everyone else. Oh, well. It would at least show she wasn't wearing any weapons. Yeah, keep that in mind and she wouldn't loose her nerve. She'd have to be just as tough as these Fire Nation boys and fight them like the Water Tribe girl she was.

Katara pulled her hair into a pony tail, laid out the uniform she was going to use, and rotated her neck to loosen the stiff neck muscles. Quickly, so she wouldn't loose the nerve she'd collected, she kicked of her boots, pulled off her shirt, and shucked her pants. She wore her wrappings underneath, so her she showed only a modest amount of skin. But it was enough for the entire barrack to go quiet.

Katara had to bite back a satisfied smirk as pull on her new uniform. As she slid her feet into her boots, she looked up to see the entire squad staring at her. "What?" she asked innocently.

"I didn't think you were actually going to strip," Breber said in shock. Niceros was chuckling again, but Riom was frozen in place, his knife settling against the wood.

"But you ordered me to change," Katara said, still acting innocently, "And there is no place to change privately, yes?"

Breber's gaze darted to the door in the back, then back to her. She turned to the door and then back to her captain. "Oh, I didn't see the door there. I'm sure you just overlooked it by accident," she said, smiling sweetly. Her smile widened as she saw a faint blush crept onto Breber's face.

Katara turned and laughed softly. Jack and Gawain hid their smirks behind their hands and snickered. The action reminded Katara of her school mates back in the Water Tribe. They'd snicker in the same way whenever a prank was pulled. Her smile slowly faded as she felt a wave of homesickness. She missed her waterbending teachers, her family, and friends. But she would have to put those feelings aside for the time being.

"Uh, Katara?" Jack said, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I don't mind you standing there, but, could you turn around while I change?"

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have anything I haven't seen, Jack," she said.

Gawain leaned over the top bunk, wagging his eyebrows. "Really?" he said.

Katara snorted. "I grew up with a brother and five male cousins. Very little shocks me about boys."

"That's all good," Jack said, "But I'd feel better if you weren't watching me change." Katara chuckled and turned around, placing her hands over her eyes. She heard clothes rustling behind her.

"Katara," Breber called, "Come over here, would you?" She grabbed her cloak and walked over to the other soldiers, leaving the twins to finish changing. Breber looked down at her with his arms crossed as she tied her cloak over her shoulders. He looked as if he were trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle. "You puzzle me, girl," he finally said.

"I gathered as much from the confused look on your face," she said.

Niceros chuckled. Breber shot him a look, quieting his laughter, but his smile stayed. Breber looked back to Katara. "You've got a quite a mouth on you," he said.

"Yes," Katara said. "I've also got two eyes, a nose, two ears-"

"That's not what I mean, and you know it," Breber snapped.

"I think what Breber's trying to say," Niceros said, "Is that, if your skills with a sword are as good as your witty comebacks, you could protect the Fire Lord by yourself."

Riom snorted, the first sound he'd made since she met him. "That's not what he was driving at, but nicely put."

"Thank you," Niceros said.

Katara raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. They talked almost as strange as Jack and Gawain. "Is there a point to you pointing out that I have witty comebacks?" she asked, calmly.

"Tell me about you life growing up," Breber ordered.

Katara took a deep breath and revealed her cover story. "I grew up in the Fire Nation Colonies, in a small town called Pai Se with my brother Sokka, my father, my five male cousins, and my one female cousin. We came to the city 8 years ago to find work. That's when we met Iroh. Unfortunately, we were unable to find decent work, so my father decided that we should return to the Colonies." She crossed her arms, imitating Breber's stance. "But you know all of this from the interviews. If there is a specific question you would like to ask, please ask it now so we may get that out of the way."

Breber nodded. "What is a young Colonial woman, who could easily catch herself a husband with her pretty looks alone, be so set on joining the Nonpareils?"

Katara tilted her head to the side as she brought up one of her fondest memories she'd had of the Fire Nation. "When I was here last," she said, "I spent a lot of time with Iroh or following my family around the city. I saw many soldiers, but only one group caught my eye. Men in black vests, red tunics, and red trousers had walked into the Iroh's tea shop one day, while I was helping him. They sat down and ordered...green tea, I believe it was. As I delivered the tea with Iroh, one of the soldiers lifted me up and set me on his lap so I could watch the Pai Sho game. As the game went on, some of the other soldiers told me stories about missions they had undertaken for the last Fire Lord. I became fascinated with the tales and I decided I wanted to be in the Nonpareils."

The last wasn't that false. At the time, she had been fascinated with the soldiers and the stories. In her childish way, she had felt the urge to join them. When she had told her father, he had scolded her and lectured her that they were not there to join the enemy, but to spy on them. Katara smiled faintly. "My father was unhappy, to say the least," she said with a chuckle.

"Why?" Jack asked.

Katara jumped, not realizing the twins had finished changing and had been listening to her story. She smiled a bit. "He wanted me to live back home with him and a husband that would take over the family farm. That just wasn't for me." _Mostly because I was to go out and kill people for my tribe._

Gawain draped an arm over her shoulder. "Now you get to bunk and train with five strong hansom men," he said.

"Well," Katara answered, "I see four strong hansom men. Are you suppose to be the fifth?"

Niceros laughed and slapped Katara on the back, almost sending her to the ground. "I like you, girl. You're funny. Come, I'll buy you a drink."

"Just not the strong stuff," Breber said, rolling his eyes as they walked out of the barracks.

"Why?" Riom said, shoving his carving into his pocket. "Don't you like seeing the new recruits dancing on the tables when they're drunk?"

"If you want to see that, then you'll have be the one to put them to bed when they finally pass out," Breber said, walking through the gateway that led out to the public parts of the city.

Katara followed him and laughed as she watched Gawain and Jack shove each other as they tried to decide what booth to buy food from. Niceros was watching with amusement as the twins bumped into the other people out for the night's festivities, and Riom just stuffed his hands into his pockets as if he were bored.

Katara looked back toward the front. She was jostled from behind and stumbled forward. Two strong arms caught her before she fell. The press of the crowd pushed Katara and her savior against a building wall. Her cheek was pressed against a warm, hard chest as a couple scooted past her.

She looked up and stared into the golden eyes of a young man about 20 or so. His left eye was burned in the shape of a flame, but it didn't take away from his hansom face. His black hair was pulled back into the traditional topknot. Another couple passed them, jostling her closer to the man. Katara blushed. "Sorry," she said softly.

"No problem," he said a little roughly. "It gets crowded during the festival." Katara nodded. She scanned the crowd. "Looking for someone?"

Katara looked back. "My group. We were suppose to go out for drinks, but Gawain knocked into me and I can't seem to find them," she said.

The man scanned the crowd. His eyes settled on something over her shoulder and widened for a moment before looking back down on her. "How about I help you find them?" he said, pulling up his hood so his scar was hidden.

Katara looked over her shoulder and saw Breber coming her way with the others. She opened her mouth as she turned to the man, but he grabbed her hand. "Come on," he said.

"But-" she started, but didn't get far. The man pulled her down and alley. Katara followed and kept up with his run. She looked back and saw the squad running after them. The man must have seen them, because he picked up speed.

A smile appeared on Katara's face and she ran so she was right next to the man. He looked over at her and she winked. As they turned the corner, she pulled them into an alley and pressed against a wall. The man stopped next to her and they panted quietly as the squad rushed by.

As soon as they had all run past, Katara let out a laugh and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. "Oh, that was fun," she said. "But Breber is going to kill me when I get back."

"Why would he do that?" the man asked, doubled over to catch his own breath.

Katara smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing." She extended her hand. "I'm Katara. Who are you?"

The man looked at her in disbelief for a moment but then shook her hand. "Zuko," he said. "Where are you from?"

"The Colonials. You live in the city?" she asked.

He smirked. "You could say that," he said. "I'm sorry I dragged you down here and away from Breber, but I didn't feel like running into him just now." He stood and flushed a bit. "How about I make it up to you? Over a cup of tea?"

He seemed a bit fidgety and nervous, as if he were making an effort to step out of his comfort zone. Katara took pity on him and nodded. "I would like that," she said. "Do you know The Ginseng Dragon? They serve the best white jasmine tea in the city."

Zuko chuckled. "I've been there a time or two. Shall we?" He offered his hand in a gallant like fashion that made Katara smile. It was sloppy, but friendly, as if he wanted to make her laugh. And it was a good try.

She laughed and took his arm. "I would be delighted, kind sir," she said in a stuffy court like accent. Both of them laughed and headed toward the tea shop.

I hope you like the names I've pulled. I've been going through some old fairy tales and these names go with some very interesting ones.

Thank you for staying this far on my first story. If you have suggestions, I would like to hear them. Also, I would like to take this time and thank RedNovember and The Lady Empress for giving me ideas and I'm sorry if they feel I am treading in on their turf. That was not my intension. Please accept my deepest apologies.


	4. Chapter 3: A Summer Festival Moment

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Original characters are property of me. All's the more pity.**

Katara and Zuko walked into The Ginseng Dragon. He kept his hood up, but Katara didn't say anything. She searched the shop quickly and smiled as she saw Iroh in the back. A red robed hostess walked up to them and showed them to a seat in the back. Zuko had kept his hood up and his face hidden during all of this.

As they took a seat, the hostess turned to leave. "Excuse me, ma'am," Katara said, thinking about Zuko. "We haven't ordered yet."

The woman smiled. "Don't worry, miss. Mr. Iroh already knows what tea you like. He says he remembers from when you were a little girl."

As the hostess walked away, Katara smiled. "You know Iroh?" Zuko asked. He sounded surprised and curious.

Katara laid her hands on the table and smiled. It seemed she'd repeated these words so many times, she should just make cards. "8 years ago, my family and I came to the city. I spent most of my time either here or following my family to their jobs. But mostly here, helping out with some of the tea and such before we left."

Zuko nodded. "Why did you move back to the Colonies?"

"We couldn't find enough jobs for all of us, so we moved back and started up the farm." Her smile turned sad. "We were all the family any of us had. It just wasn't possible for everyone to stay in the city."

"But you came back," Zuko said. "Why?"

Before she could answer, Iroh walked over and set a tray down on the table. There were two cups, a hot teapot, and a bowl of fire flakes. His gaze went to hers first, smiling at the visit, and then to Zuko. His eyebrow went up in a question, but he only smiled back at Katara. "It is a pleasure to see you in my tea shop again, Katara. I'm sorry I cannot chat with you at the moment, but, as you can see, we are busy."

Katara nodded and Iroh walked away. "It's interesting," she said, picking up her tea.

"What is?" Zuko said, reaching for his own cup.

Katara paused for a moment. She'd seen the way Iroh had reacted. As if he knew who Zuko was, but didn't want to draw attention to the man. It would be unwise to mention this to Zuko, as he might run. And Katara was just getting interested in this man, who had an unusual scar and hid his face for that reason. So, Katara chose a different topic. "It's interesting that you could tell that I was from the Colonies at just a glance."

"Well, you do stick out," he said, sipping his tea. Katara's hand traveled to her hair. It was a chocolate color, instead of the nation's usual black. "It's easy to tell who you are."

Her eyes traveled to his face. "Is that why you pulled your hood up?" she asked. "Because people can tell who you are?"

Zuko smiled stiffly. "Anyone who saw my face would know who I am," he said. "I'd rather have at least one night that I can relax and stay out of the spotlight."

Katara knew how it was to be out of the spotlight. At times, it was disconcerting; that no one knew you were there or knew you existed. But, at other times, it let you think to yourself and relax. By the way Zuko had talked, he wanted to relax; to hear himself think. It told Katara two things. One, he was a higher official, well recognized and in high demand of orders, if he was unable to have a moment of peace to himself. Two, he was lonely and looking for a friend, if he grabbed and ran with a girl that didn't recognize him. Peace. That was what he was looking for.

Katara smiled at him and said, "Then why not spend the festival with me?"

Zuko looked up in slight confusion. "What?"

"Come with me to the festival," Katara repeated. "You can relax and I can get a refresher tour of the city. Deal?" She extended her hand.

Zuko smiled and shook her hand. "Deal," he said.

They finished their tea, munching on the flakes, and then headed out. The streets were busy and alive with booths and people enjoying the festival. Katara stayed close to Zuko as they walked down the street that was lit up by tall torches. She kept a hand on his arm. Now and then, they stopped to watch a firebender show or to view a booth's wares. Katara didn't spend any of her limited money, but that didn't stop her from admiring a blue metal bracelet.

They had just moved away from the jewelry booth when Katara noticed a puppet booth. A sign next to it read _'The Fire Lord's Rise to Power'. _The topic didn't interest her. She'd seen the destruction the Fire Nation had brought upon her people. Almost all of the waterbenders were dead and Katara had been fortunate to have the only master bender to be her teacher. But, she might catch a glimpse of what the Fire Lord might look like. She'd been in so much of a hurry in leaving, she hadn't had time to see a picture of her target. Carelessness on her part, true, but a lot had been going on at that time.

She moved closer, but Zuko put a hand on the small of her back and directed her away. She didn't protest. She could feel the stiffness in his touch. As well as the heat that was leaking through her cloak and uniform. Katara stopped that trail of thought. It wouldn't help her any if her mind was off wandering.

As they wandered to the Main Square, Katara heard music and laughter. They came out onto the square and saw that the whole area had been cleared for dancing. Couples twirled around on the cobblestones as a band played a lively tune from a raised platform. Large bonfires had been set on tall platforms high above the festivities so the entire area was illuminated.

Katara's eyes shown brightly as she watched a happy couple twirl by. It reminded her of the dances they'd held back home. Katara had never been lacking in partners for the lively dances. The slow ones, though, it was hard to find a dance partner. No one had wanted to get close enough in fear that she'd drive a dagger into their heart.

Zuko nudged her arm gently, drawing her attention. She looked up and noticed that he had been watching her for a while. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.

Katara looked at the crowd, both dancing and watching. She looked back to Zuko. "Are you sure? Your hood might fall back." Zuko shrugged. Katara bit her lip and shook her head. "No," she said after a minute of thinking. "This is your night to relax." Zuko looked down at her in a look of disbelief. Apparently, he wasn't use to people thinking about him first.

Just then, a large paper dragon rushed into the square, controlled by five men. It dipped and jingled from the bells attached to the sides. Soon, the dragon turned in circles as the dancers continued to dance. They all danced as the song picked up speed. Cloth flew up as partners were tossed into the air. Katara watched until the song abruptly ended. The dancers and watchers laughed and cheered.

"Fantastic," Katara said.

"You act as if you've never seen a fir festival before," Zuko said, a smile in his voice.

"I haven't," Katara said. "I mean, not one as grand as this one." She'd covered just in time.

"Neither have I." Katara looked over at Zuko and saw him staring at her. She blushed at his gaze.

"Hey, mister," a little boy said, tugging on Zuko's sleeve. He held up a flower from the box he was carrying. "Buy a fire lily fer yer girlfriend?" he asked.

Zuko blushed a little, but only so Katara saw. "She's not my girlfriend," he said.

Katara looked at the boy and decided to spend a little of her money to help him out. She leaned down and said, "I'll buy a fire lily. I think it's pretty." She handed over the coin and took the flower, smiling at the youth. He smiled and ran into the crowd, looking for other customers.

Katara put the flower behind her ear and smiled at Zuko. He smiled back. "You have a way with children," he said.

"Oh, it just comes naturally, I guess," she said. She'd watched the village children when their parents had been out hunting. She always got along very well with children for some reason.

Suddenly, the night lit up with right colored fireworks. Katara looked up and her mouth fell open as she watched the explosions fill the sky. She was so transfixed at the sigh, she didn't see the dragon head pop out of the crowd until it was beside her. She jumped and felt Zuko grab her hand. She looked up and met his eyes.

They stared for a long time until she felt them stop moving. Katara hadn't even noticed they'd been walking until they were out of the crowd and standing by a fountain. The area was dimmer than the main area, but was also deserted of all festival goers.

Katara shook herself out of her daze and said, "I should probably get back back or I'll get into trouble.

"Yeah. Me, too," Zuko said. Neither one moved.

Finally, Katara said, "I had a great time. Even if it did start with us running from a group of men."

Zuko chuckled. "Oh, I don't know, he said, pulling her closer. "The run kinda made it more exciting." He smiled down at her. "Will I see you again?"

Katara stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his scared cheek. She shouldn't be getting involved with a Fire Nation lad beyond anything professional. True she had orders to seduce the Fire Lord, but that was a last resort kind of thing. This, on the other hand, was something completely different.

She stepped back, her hands still in his. "I certainly hope so," she said with a smile. She then walked back until her fingers slipped from his before turning and leaving the fountain.

A smile stayed on her face as she walked back to the barracks. She didn't really notice the celebrations. Her mind was focused on Zuko. "Who were you with?" Breber asked from the shadows near the barrack's door.

Katara jumped. She was usually more alert. She would take care to keep her mind more focused. "Just a boy I met, captain. We were watching the fireworks," she said. Breber studied her for a moment before accepting her story with a nod. Katara walked into the barracks to see the others already there.

Riom was carving his wood while he listened to Niceros telling Jack and Gawain about a girl he'd been flirting with. They looked up when she came in. Gawain jumped up and pulled Katara over to the group. "Where have you been?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Gawain asked. "We lost you and then we see you running off with some guy in a hood. What, is he ugly or something?"

He started to laugh, but Katara punched him hard enough in the arm, that he fell back and off the bunk he'd sat on. The group broke out into laughter as Gawain crawled up onto the bunk again. He was blushing, but his smile was genuinely amused.

Niceros smiled and teased, "It looks like Katara has a crush on someone."

"Come on, Kat," Gawain said. "Tell us who."

"Hey," Jack said, raising a hand. "If Katara doesn't want to tell us, then we shouldn't pressure her."

Katara smiled. "Thank you, Jack. That's sweet of you."

Jack nodded. "So," he said, leaning forward. "Who is he?"

She rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at him. He caught it as the others laughed. "Honestly," she said, walking toward her bunk. "Do you have nothing else to do than to bother me about a boy? You're worse than the girls in town back home."

"You know," Riom said, speaking up. "Katara's right. Let's not ask about her boy. Let's talk about Niceros' girl."

Katara rolled her eyes and slid into bed. "Well, all of you can knock off your gossiping," Breber said. "We start training tomorrow. And you newbies will be too sore to do anything."

Katara closed her eyes as she smiled. Training had always been fine at training. No matter what her tribe had thrown at her, she'd always been able to take all of it and dish some back. Fire Nation training couldn't be as bad as that.


	5. Chapter 4: First Day of Training

Fire Nation training _was_ that bad. That was what Katara was thinking as she stood outside under the blazing son early in the morning. First, Niceros had blared a trumpet in their ears to wake them up. Gawain had fallen onto the floor, nearly cracking his head. Then, they'd been ordered to do a three mile run with loaded packs before breakfast. Now, they had were waiting for instructions from Breber. The soldiers had gone to breakfast and left the recruits outside as punishment for not moving quick enough in the run.

Now, here they stood in the middle of the training campus. Jack, Katara, and Gawain. Their feet were positioned shoulder width apart and their hands clutched behind their backs. They'd been standing there for over an hour, on display for anyone who was walking by. Which were a lot, since every single soldier and recruit were on their way for their meal.

Katara felt sweat roll down her neck. She'd never thought about the mornings in the Fire Nation before, as she hadn't really paid that much attention to them, but she had officially ruled that she hated mornings. And it wasn't even a Monday.

A squad of new recruits walked by, all of them dressed in the gray uniforms. Katara recognized some of them from the line in front of the forces station a few days ago. A few looked up and smiled slightly as they recognized the twins and Katara. No doubt, they were glad they weren't in the shoes of the Nonpareil's newest recruits.

"Well, if this isn't a pretty sight," a rough voice said. Katara looked over and saw a tall recruit leering at her. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest. "I didn't know they let women into the Nonpareil."

Katara kept her face blank and her body still, even though she wanted to punch the smug look off the man's face. "I passed the test," she said.

"Ah," he said, smirking. "Your legs and back must be sore."

Jack and Gawain glared at the man. "What the hell does that mean?" they said in unison. Katara resisted the urge to smile at the defense.

The man only smiled. "I'm just saying. No woman has ever gotten into the Nonpareil and, suddenly, one does? There is only one explanation. She slept her way in-" Both Jack and Gawain pounced on the man. Katara stunned for a moment as she watched the twins attacked the man. No one had ever beat up a person for her. This show of loyalty was...conflicting and confusing.

Conflicting because Jack and Gawain didn't even know a lot about her. And, what they did know, was all part of her cover story. She was starting to feel constant guilt about all the lying. And she was truly confused as to why they would jump to her aid so readily.

Finally, she broke free of her daze and pulled the twins off the man. "Don't bother with him," she said, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. She wiped some of the blood off Gawain's lip. "He doesn't deserve it. He's just a sniveling coward."

A rough hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around forcefully. The man had a bloody lip and a black eye forming, but it was clear he was upset. "A coward?" he growled. "You call me a coward?"

Katara gritted her teeth. "Yes," she said, growing angrier by the second. "I called you a coward because it is obvious you lack self confidence, making you attack a woman who has worked her butt off to be where she is now." Katara breathed deep. Now that she had started talking, she was on a role. "It's obvious that you prey upon the weak in hopes of boosting your status, though your status is surely so low that even if you didn't bully others, you'd still be unnoticed. I believe that the only way you actually got into the army, was that your father bribed someone into taking you into their squad. And I pity that squad, for it is clear that you are an incompetent, moronic, and stupid soldier! And an even worse man!" She'd advance during her entire tirade, pushing the man back until he hit the wall of the mess hall. A crowd had formed, as well, watching the chewing out and were now standing quiet.

The man turned red and raised a hand. Katara pulled back her own fist and hit him in the gut. He doubled over as the wind rushed from her lungs. Katara turned and walked back to Gawain, who had the handkerchief pressed to his lip. Jack was smiling slightly. Katara returned the smile and looked at Gawain. "Are you alright?" she asked, pulling the handkerchief away from his lip. Gawain tried to smile, but flinched and pushed the cloth back to his lip. "Don't smile," she said. "You'll look more stupid than you do now." Gawain chuckled and flinched again.

"I guess you shouldn't laugh, either," Jack said, smiling faintly.

Katara looked at him. "Why did you two step in for me?" she asked. "I mean, you don't even know me."

"Sure we do," Gawain said.

"You're the girl that can knock the stuffing out of a guy one moment, then gently tend a wounded man the next," Jack said. Katara smiled.

"You're also the girl that's going to be in big trouble as soon as Breber gets wind of this," Gawain added, pulling the cloth away.

"Which is sooner than you think." They all stiffened at the voice and turned to look up at Breber. He stood behind them, arms crossed."What happened?" he asked.

Katara licked her lips nervously. "Well, sir," she said. "We were minding our own business, standing guard like you told us to." She turned and pointed to the man still leaning against the wall. "Then that man said..." she faltered.

"He what?" Breber said as Niceros and Riom joined him and were looking over the area.

Katara didn't speak up, but Jack said, "He said that the only reason she got into the Nonpareils, was because she slept her way in."

"Yeah," Gawain put in. "We were teaching him a lesson, but Katara did one better."

"She totally just chewed him out," Jack said.

Breber looked over at the man and then to Niceros and Riom. "Take the soldier to his captain and tell him what has happened." He glared at the man. "He will learn not to insult one of the Nonpareils."

As they moved to follow their captain's orders, Niceros patted Katara's shoulder and Riom cracked his knuckles, a deadly glare aimed at the insulter. Katara watched as they approached him and hauled him away by the grip on his arms.

"He'll be dealt with by his captain," Breber said. He looked at Jack and Gawain. "You two will report to the hospital. Those wounds should be looked at." He turned to Katara. "You and I will have a talk on the training field. Now."

Katara nodded and followed him as he turned on his heel and walked away from the twins. She followed him to a large arena used for fighting to a crowd and training recruits. Breber walked over to a target and stopped about 20 paces away from it. He turned to face her.

"You know, Katara," he said. "You remind me of my little sister. Mapia was always quick with a retort and, no matter what she did, people gave her trouble. Some even went as far as what that man back there did."

Katara stared. This was something new and she hadn't expected anything like this from her captain. He'd been so distant and coarse since the moment she'd stepped into the force station. Him making a 180 and telling her something personal was...out of character, to say the least.

Breber drew a line in the dirt with the toe of his shoe. He then reached into his pockets and drew out a wrapped bundle. He handed it to Katara and she took it, unwrapping the cloth. She stared for a moment, then looked up at Breber. "Knives?" she asked.

"Throwing knives," he clarified. "My sister got into trouble so many times, she learned to throw knives. They're easy to conceal and easy to use. With practice."

"If I may ask," Katara said. "Are you trying to teach me to throw knives? And, if so, why?"

Breber sighed. "Like I said, you remind me of my sister. I worried about her and I worry about you. Especially when there are men that think you only got in because you were...loose with your virtue." He tapped the knives she held. "At least, with these, you are able to have a chance to defend yourself from an attack that's more...physical. They're simple, easy to conceal, and easy to use."

Katara looked at the knives and muttered, "These are assassins' weapons, captain."

Breber put a hand on her shoulder. Katara met his eyes and saw a severity there she'd only seen in her leader's eyes when discussing an important mission. It had been there when she'd been given this mission. And the knives she'd been given only reminded her more of her training with her own daggers back home.

"I know," Breber said, drawing her attention. "But I want you to train in these weapons." He turned and pointed to the target. "Now, I want you to throw these weapons at that target and-"

Katara didn't let him finish. She grabbed the daggers in her hand and threw all of them in one stroke. They landed in a cluster on the target. Breber stared in surprise for a moment before turning to her. "How-"

"You remember when I said I had trained to be in the Nonpareil's?" Breber nodded. "I trained every day for 10 years on knife, sword, and archery. There is no reason you should worry about me." she said. Katara smiled almost sadly. "I don't like people to worry about me. They become restricting and I am unable to act as I should."

Breber chuckled to himself. He ruffled her hair and said, "I worry about everyone under my command, Katara. They're like my family. But don't worry. I won't become that restricting. I'll be just your basic brother like figure that is also your captain."

Katara laughed. Breber walked over to the target and pulled the knives out. He walked back to Katara and said, "Let me see that again." She took the knives. One by one, she drew her arm back, leveled her gaze at her target, and tossed the balanced weapon. As the last one sank into the target, Breber let loose a low whistle. "Remind me not to piss you off," he said.

Katara walked up to the target and withdrew the daggers. "I'll give you a count so you know when to stop," she said, walking back to the line.

She started to put them back in the cloth, but Breber stopped her. "Keep the daggers," he said. "It's a load off my mind if I know you're carrying some sort of weapon."

Katara smiled to herself. She always carried weapons. No matter what she was wearing, she always found a way to hide knives and daggers on her person. Usually, they were in her wrappings; hidden so their position wasn't shown.

"You don't have to worry about that, captain," she said. "I'm very much prepared."

Breber nodded. He turned his head to the side as he looked at the target. "Would you mind teaching me that technique?" he asked. "I'm not as good as I would like to be."

Katara nodded. "No problem, captain." She put the knife into his hand and instructed him on his draw back. He tossed a few, getting closer to the target with each toss.

Soon after they had started, Jack and Gawain came back from the hospital with a few big smiles. "She says we're going to live!" Gawain said, raising his arms as if winning a victory.

Katara didn't turn around for a moment. She made a quick adjustment on Breber's grip and then said, "Throw." He threw it and it landed dead center on the bulls eye. "Good," Katara said. She turned around and said, "Oh. You're back. Didn't hear you."

"Didn't-" Gawain stuttered, then smiled and lifted her up over his shoulder. "Didn't hear me, did you?" he said, walking over to a climbing wall.

Katara struggled. "Gawain, put me down!" she cried, pushing against his shoulders, trying to get free.

"You got it, Kat," he said. He climbed up the wall and placed her on top of it, jumping back down.

She situated herself so she wouldn't fall and called down, "You are in so much trouble when I get down there."

Gawain and Jack laughed. "Yeah," Gawain said.

"Sure," Jack said.

"When you get down,"  
"Then we'll see if you can take us."

Katara glared at them and noticed Breber was trying very hard not to laugh. "You laugh at me, Captain Breber, and I'll wash your socks in pepper juice," she said. He nodded and waved his hand as he tried to hold back the laughter threatening to be let loose.

"Oh, Katara, Oh, Katara. Where for art thou, Katara?" Niceros said, striking a pose on bended knee before the wall. Riom was chuckling to himself.

Katara took off a boot and threw it down at them. "I art stuck up here, for that soon-to-be dead Gawain hath put me up here," she said, smiling down at the tomfoolery.

Gawain laughed. "It's because I'm sweet on you, Kat," he said. He got on his knee beside Niceros. "You are my sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside, I've got the month of may. Oh, I guess, you say, 'What could make me feel this way?' My Kat. Talking 'bout my Kat," he sang.

Katara laughed. "You have the voice of an angel, and the charm of Jack."

"Hey," Gawain said defensively.

"Thank you, Kat," Jack said, bowing.

Riom smiled. "If you come down, I'll tell you what happened to that young many you scolded, Katara," he said.

Katara raised an eyebrow and threw her leg over the wall and propelled herself down, using the ropes. She landed in front of Riom and said, "What happened?"

"Eager to hear the bad news, I see," Riom said, pulling a bucket up and turning it over to make a seat. He sat and started to whittle on his wood. "The man, Gerard, has been put on marching detail, with full pack, until his court martial on the charges of slandering a female Nonpareil recruit's reputation, assaulting two other Nonpareil recruits, as well as insulting the reputation of the full Nonpareil squad."

Gawain chuckled. "I wouldn't want to be in his shoes," he said.

"No one would," Jack said. He changed the subject. "So, what were you doing with Breber, Katara?"

She looked over and Breber nodded. Katara walked over, grabbed the knives from his hands, and tossed it effortlessly. They landed in the center in a nice, neat cluster. She turned to her team and bowed to their shocked faces.

"How-" Jack said.

"What-" Gawain said.

Niceros jerked his thumb to the twins. "I'm with them," he said.

Breber patted Katara's shoulder. "Katara has been practicing for 10 years. She was just showing me how to throw like her."

"I wouldn't mind taking a few lessons," Niceros said. He walked up to the target and yanked the knives out of the target. He walked back to the line and gripped the knife. "So, what's the first lesson, teach?" he asked.

The others lined up at the line, as well. Katara gave each a knife and began teaching. They practiced the entire day, stopping only for a quick lunch brought out by a kitchen girl. By the time dinner rolled around, everyone in the squad could hit the center 3 times out of 5.

"All right," Katara said. "We should stop for the day before your arms start to hurt."

"Too late," Gawain said, rotating his shoulder.

The team laughed as they collected the knives and handed it to Katara. She slid two up her sleeves, two in her boots, and one under her collar, using her hair to hide the hilt. Jack winked at her and the team headed toward the mess hall for dinner.

As they entered, the room fell silent and all attention was turned to Katara. She swallowed hard, but Breber pushed her toward the chow line. Katara picked up a tray and moved down the line as the serving people put food on the tray. She could feel the other soldiers' eyes on her as she collected her cup of tea and followed the team to a table. Word must have spread like a forest fire if everyone knew about the incident this morning.

A shadow fell across the table. Katara looked up and met the neutral gaze of a captain. His eyes wandered over her and back to her face. "Stand up, girl," he ordered.

Katara felt the tense silence fall over the mess hall as everyone waited to see what was going to happen. She looked at Breber, seeing the consent in his eyes. She stood and turned to the man before her. "Yes, Captain?"

"So," he said. "You are the girl who has Gerard marching post and waiting for his court martial."

"You must be the captain who ordered it, since you seem to be one of the only people connected directly to it," she said.

"What makes you say that?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

Katara shrugged. "Why else would you approach me? Are you going to try to recruit me or are you going to yell at me?"

The man stared at her for a moment. "Gerard is a stupid soldier, as well as a stupid man," he said, surprising her. He bowed in the Fire Nation fashion and said, "I would like to formally apologize for what my soldier has done towards you and the Nonpareils."

Katara was stunned for a moment before bowing back. "I accept your apology, Captain," she said. "I believe it is through no fault of yours that you were assigned an a-that man." She changed what she was going to say, but she saw the smile on the captain's face.

"Thank you, Miss Katara," he said. "Should you ever need anything, feel free to call upon me. Captain Gideon."

Katara smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Captain Gideon. Not many people would be as understanding as you."

"Not many people had Gerard as a soldier." They both laughed and the tension was broken in the mess hall. Gideon returned to his table and Katara took her seat with the rest of her team.

"I'm impressed," Riom said. "Not many people actually hear Gideon offer his services to them."

Katara licked her spoon. "I'm just lucky, I suppose."


	6. Chapter 5: The Nonpareil Circus

I want to thank everyone for commenting. I love getting reviews and it makes my writing a little bit more enjoyable. Thanks especially to the following: AnnaAza, Beautiful Jade, Eswin, Dragongirl of the Stars, Books 'n' Arrows, and ForTheLoveOfEdwardCullen.

The second day of training went a little better than the last. When Niceros blasted the trumpet, Gawain caught himself before he fell out of bed. They ran a bit faster on the run, as well, earning the right to have their breakfast.

While they were having their morning tea, Breber said, "Alright. I've been thinking."

"A dangerous past time for an officer," Niceros muttered behind his cup.

The others snickered. Katara was staring at her cup, moving her fingers over the smooth ceramic surface. Inside, the tea was subtly moving in tiny patterns. It had been forever since she'd last bended and it would practically be suicide to bend in the Fire Nation.

"Katara," Breber said.

She jumped out of her daze and looked up. Everyone at the table was staring at her. She realized they had been asking her a question. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was spacing. What did you ask?"

Breber's lips twitched for a second before repeating himself. "I was thinking that, since we all did so well with Katara's lessons yesterday, each of us would teach the team a skill that each person excels at. We would each have a day to teach the others."

"What would we be doing on the last day?" Katara asked.

"If each of us takes a day, that's six," Jack said.

"Looky here," Riom said. "He can count."

"Yeah," Breber said, rolling his eyes. "Imagine that. He went to kindergarden." He sipped his tea. "But I'm serious about the training. Katara is an expert knife thrower and that kind of skill is very useful. All of us could benefit from learning other skills. And the seventh day will be used as a sparing day. I noticed you two," he looked at Jack and Gawain, "Were beat by that punk yesterday."

The twins looked at each other in a bit of embarrassment. Katara smiled a bit, but jumped to their defense. "Well, they were pretty steamed and Gerard had at least a foot on both of them. It would have been hard to take him down." Breber lifted his cup so they wouldn't see his smile. "But I like the idea. It would be good to see if these old dogs can learn new tricks." She jerked her head toward Niceros and Riom.

Niceros' jaw dropped. "That's a cheep shot, Katara," he said.

"Yeah," Riom said. "We're only 27."

Katara smiled. "That's still pretty old, guys."

"Alright," Breber said, breaking up the fight with a laugh. "Let's get to business. What can each of us do? Katara knife throws."

"I'm a great swordsman," Niceros said. "If I do say so myself."

"And you do," Riom said. He bit his thumb nail for a moment before saying, "People tell me I'm only good at whittling. So I guess that's something." He looked up. "Well, that or mixing herbs to make poisons." Everyone stared at him.

Jack cleared his throat. "Well," he said. "I can walk the tightrope."

"And I can do acrobatic tricks," Gawain pipped up.

"Great," Breber said. "And I can teach archery."

"Look on the bright side," Riom said. "If the Nonpareils don't work out, we can join the circus."

The team laughed. Gawain chuckled. "Introducing," he said in an announcer type voice. "The Nonpareil Circus. Performing everyday except for Sundays when they shall be relaxing in the wonderful arena, pummeling each other into a pulp."

They laughed again, but quieted as a tall woman with neatly brushed black hair walked up to their table. She bowed to the group and said, "I am sorry to impose on your conversation, Nonpareils, but I have orders from the Fire Nation Public Relations Board. They feel that you should all be properly trained in the courtly manners and fashions. They feel that it would not do if the Fire Lord's personal guards cause a disturbance by accident."

Katara looked at the woman and suddenly felt inferior. Her hand traveled to her bed head. She hadn't had time to brush it this morning and she knew it looked terrible. Compared to the elegant woman, Katara looked a complete mess.

"If it would help," the lady said, "Lessons could be held on Sundays. That is your free day, is it not?"

Breber turned to face the woman. "Is this an order from the Fire Lord, or from his lackeys up at the palace?"

The woman didn't flinch. She smiled as if in understanding. "It was made by the lackeys, but the Fire Lord believes it would beneficial to everyone in your company."

Breber turned to the others at the table. "Well," he said. "What do you think?"

Gawain shrugged. "We're practically training for the circus. We may as well learn some new tricks people think are socially correct."

Jack snorted. "You're talking like one of them already."

Riom and Niceros chuckled. "We've got nothing better to do on Sundays. I guess we're in." Niceros said. Riom nodded, as well as Gawain.

The lady turned to Katara. "Miss Katara? Does this suit your liking?"

All eyes turned to her. She sipped her tea to regain her composure after feeling herself lacking compared to the woman before them. She had hated her court lessons back home, but now she would have to relearn everything. She could object to the lessons, but she needed inside the palace. And she would accomplish it, any way she could. Even if that meant wearing uncomfortable clothing and dancing around for the amusement of others.

Katara set her cup down and looked up. "If it would please our gracious Fire Lord, I would be honored to learn the appropriate way to act before the Fire Court," she said.

Everyone stared at her as if she'd just talked in a foreign language, which she might as well have done. When one lived in court life, they had to be careful of their words. Words that could, and would, be twisted around to say anything anyone wanted them to say. Katara had had many times to practice such techniques in her training and experiences. She'd heard and used every one of those techniques against her enemies. She knew the harm one had if they didn't think.

The lady smiled. Genuinely smiled. "Very good, Lady Katara. I shall expect the Nonpareils at 8 o'clock sharp," she said, bowing. She turned and left.

Gawain and Jack looked at Katara with wide eyes. "What did you just say?" Gawain asked.

"Yeah," Jack said. "Where did you learn to talk as fancy as that lady?"

Katara shrugged and sipped her tea. "I visited the Colonies' palace enough times to over hear the pattern in which they speak. It sort of stayed with me."

"Good," Niceros said. "Then you can all teach us because I didn't understand half of what that lady was saying."

Katara put her empty tea cup on the table. "She basically said that, because we are body guards, the Public Relations Board, as she called it, believes we are uncultured in the court way of life. They don't want us to embarrass the Fire Lord by stepping on some important official's toes when dancing or saying something that could be twisted around to attack him in some way. To put it into a simple sentence," She leaned forward, "They don't want any mistakes, especially from body guards."

Jack looked over at Breber. "You've been here the longest. Is that what they're trying to do?"

Breber rolled the cup in his hands. "What Katara said is true," he said. "Body guards like us are reputed to be large angry brutes that have no manners and grunt when we talk."

"What a pleasant image," Riom said grimly.

"But," Breber said, looking up at his group. "Lady Aza seemed impressed by Katara's manners and how she spoke. In her eyes, the Nonpareils are moving up just for the fact that there's a woman in our ranks. The image goes up even more because she's cultured, as far as they can tell. But they've never approached us before with the lessons offer."

Niceros nodded to himself. "They want to show off our woman."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Your woman?" she said.

He looked up and blushed. "I mean, you're one of us, and I meant to say-"

Riom placed a hand on his arm. "Stop while you're ahead, Nic," he said.

Katara chuckled. "I know what you meant, Niceros," she said. Yes, she was one of them. She was part of this team and she would do the job she was tasked with in this position. This team was counting on her to do her job and duty as, what they believe, she was suppose to do as a Fire Nation citizen.

But she was also tasked with the other mission. The one that would let her pass into womanhood in her tribe. If she didn't complete that mission, she would be considered a girl forever and be unable to marry. Then again, who would marry her, knowing what she was? Knowing that, at any moment, she would be out the door to kill someone else? No, marriage was out of her league, but at least she would be considered a true woman. One of the tribe's women.

But, what had Breber said? 'There's a woman in our ranks.' To these men, her new team mates, she was a woman. A Fire Nation woman who came from the Colonies to be someone. Unfortunately, she was not meant to be here. Katara was a Waterbender from the South Pole Water Tribe, not a soldier from the Fire Nation. And she was not just any waterbender. She was the one ordered to kill the Fire Nation's great Lord. The one she was suppose to protect under the cover as Katara, the Fire Nation Citizen and member of the Nonpareil.

She found it ironic that she would be in a situation that called for her to both protect and kill her target. Katara smiled to herself as she stared down at her tea cup. If she thought anymore about this predicament, she was sure to get a headache. She snorted. Yeah, then she could _really_ plead a headache to get out of the lessons, as she had seen other girls do.

Katara giggled to herself.

"Katara?"

She looked up to see the squad already standing and staring at her in confusion. Jack had been the one to speak. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Katara stood up and smiled. "I'm fine. I've just been thinking about something that, in it's own way, is pretty funny."

"Mind letting us in on the joke?" Riom asked.

Katara shook her head. "This is a joke best left to me. It's a little dark for such an auspicious occasion," she said. She walked toward the door and turned to the others. "Shall we go? There are people waiting to see if we really do grunt when we speak."

As they headed out the door, Katara pushed her dilemma out of her mind until she could look at it with a better solution. But one question bothered her as she made her way across the courtyard. Why had she been sent to kill a Fire Lord that had not caused her people any harm since the war ended?


	7. Chapter 6: Unexpected Surprises

The palace was much different than what Katara had expected. Back home, the palace had been blue, of course, but it had been subtle and a cold political atmosphere. But the Fire Nation palace was designed so that one always had the feeling that something was happening. That activity was always going on just around the corner.

As the squad appeared at the servant's entrance, they were ushered up two different stairwells and through a hallway by a young boy. Every step led Katara and the others down plush carpets, exquisite paintings and portraits, flowers, and tapestries. Everywhere she looked, she saw money and power. It made her feel nervous to be there, which was probably the idea the designer had been imagining.

Their guide stopped in front of two large doors that had ferocious dragons carved into the wood. Katara stared up at them in wonder. They looked so lifelike, she imagined them jumping off the wood and attacking at any moment. Breber must have sensed her anxiety, for he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

The doors opened to show Lady Aza and five other young women smiling at them from the center of a large ballroom floor. The room was a right red with gold settings for the windows, door, and even a fire place at the far end. The tiles were patterned in the Fire Nation's symbol of a flame. Katara knew that, even if she spent the rest of her life here, she would never get use to the colors and heat of the nation. She preferred her cold and snow.

"Welcome, honored guests," she said, bowing. Katara bowed back and the rest of the team followed her lead. Lady Aza's smile grew a bit more friendly. The reputation of the Nonpareil was definitely going up because of Katara's presence. "I have arranged a suitable schedule that will enable you to train as you usually do, as well as making sure you are presentable for the ball."

"Ball?" Jack said. "What ball?"

Lady Aza's eye twitched at the interruption. "What my companion is asking, my lady," Katara intervened quickly. "Is that there has been no mention of a ball to any of the Nonpareil's members."

The lady nodded and returned to her composed smile. That smile was starting to get annoying, too. "I apologize for not mentioning it earlier," she said. "There will be a ball in honor of His Fire Lord's 21st birthday two weeks from now. The Public Relations Board has asked me to prepare the Nonpareils to attend said ball. Now, we shall begin with dance lessons. Please pair up with a partner."

Jack leaned over and grabbed Katara's hand before anyone else could. The others walked over to the women. "Now," Lady Aza said. "The first step in asking your partner to dance is not to grab them by the hand and pull them onto the floor," here, she glanced pointedly at Jack. "But to offer the lady your arm or hand and ask them politely. Mr. Jack, would you care to demonstrate?"

Katara turned to Jack. He swallowed and said, "My lady, would you care to join me for this dance?"

Katara gave a little curtsey and said, "I would be most honored, kind sir." She placed her hand in his and stood.

Lady Aza nodded. "Excellent," she said, then turned to the others. "Now, I would like all of you to do just as Lady Katara and Mister Jack have done."

As the men turned toward the ladies, a kind voice said, "Lady Aza." Katara looked up and was delighted to see Iroh standing in the doorway, his hands slipped into his sleeves. "I do not mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could borrow Katara for a while. It is most important."

"Of course, General," she said, bowing respectively.

Katara hurried over to Iroh and followed him out the doors. He led her down a hallway that was plainer than the others. There were still paintings on the walls, but they were more family oriented instead of landscapes and royal portraits. One caught her eye and she stopped in her tracks, studying the picture.

A young boy looked back at her. His golden eyes shown brightly as he smiled at the painter. He was about 10, she would guess, and dressed in royal clothes. His black hair was pulled in a high topknot. But that wasn't what stopped Katara. The boy looked familiar somehow. Like she had met him before. But that was impossible. She would have known if she'd ever met a royal. They were all the same with their snooty ways and holier-than-thou attitudes. No, she would have known right away. Iroh was the only exception to that rule.

"He looks happy, doesn't he?" Iroh said.

Katara jumped and put a hand over her heart. He chuckled. Iroh had always been too quiet for his own good. One day, she'd learn how he did that. He was almost as quiet as her. She looked back at the painting. "Who is he?" she asked.

"That is my nephew. He looks so much happier than he is today." Iroh's voice turned sad, though his smile was still in place. "I believe the accident changed him into someone cold and lost."

Katara turned to Iroh. "What accident?" she asked.

Iroh turned and walked into a room. Katara followed after him, her eyes staying on the painting until it was out of view. She looked at the room and instantly relaxed. The walls looked like The Ginseng Dragon's and a tea set had been put on a side table next to a large Pai Sho table. Two pillows were placed on either side of the table.

Iroh took the pillow on the left and Katara took the one on the left. "Tea?" Iroh asked, lifting the pot. Katara nodded and watched as he poured. "I would ask you to play a game of Pai Sho with me, but I know how you are not a good player."

"Thank you for the offer, though," she said, accepting the cup. "Now, what accident, Iroh?"

The old man slowly sipped his tea before saying, "Are you not curious as it why I pulled you out of your lessons?"

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Now that you mention it, yes. Is there a specific reason you did that? Besides pulling me out of my least favorite activity?"

Iroh chuckled for a moment. "That is not it, though you are welcome for the rescue." He looked up. "Do you know what happened to my nephew? The accident?" Katara shook her head. "My nephew was scared a long time ago. But it was no accident. He had spoken out against his father, the Fire Lord Ozai, my brother. Ozai did not like that his son had spoken out, and punished him by scaring him with fire."

Katara set her tea down. "I believe I've heard the story. But what does this have to do with me?"

Iroh smiled. "Do you remember when you came into my shop with that young man?"

"You meant he man that you recognized?" Katara asked. Iroh showed shock on his face, but Katara raised a hand. "You forget, Iroh, that I can notice almost anything and everything that goes on. Especially when a tea shop owner makes a flimsy excuse to not sit at a table. You've always had time to talk to anyone you wanted."

Iroh chuckled. "That I have," he said. "But do you know who he was? I'm sure you figured it out during your eventful night."

Katara nodded. She took a tile from the pile and put it on the Pai Sho table. She may not be good, but at least she could give Iroh something to do besides drink tea. "I believe he is a high official in the Fire Nation Court that is easily recognized and did not want to caught, for he ran when he saw the Nonpareil."

Katara thought back to the night. A soft smile appeared on her lips. "He wanted to have one night where he could relax and no one would recognize him. I thought I'd help and we went to see the festival." She looked up. "You know, he asked me to dance when he saw me watching the dancers in the Main Square. But I knew that if he did dance, it would risk the chance of his hood falling back and he would have been exposed."

The old general nodded and asked, "But do you know who he is?" Katara looked at Iroh quizzically. He was trying to get at something and was doing a very obvious job of it.

"His name is Zuko," she said slowly. "And he has a...burn mark." Suddenly, everything clicked and she felt like slapping herself in the head. "Oh," she said, closing her eyes and resting her forehead in her palm. "I am so stupid. How could I not figure it out?"

"Figure what out?" asked a familiar voice.

Katara looked up and froze. There, standing in the doorway of the parlor, was Zuko, dressed in royal robes and his hair pulled into a topknot with a golden flame tucked behind it. His scar was striking against his pale skin and it was just as hansom as she remembered it. His eyes fell on her and stared. "Katara," he said. "What are you doing her?"

She was still for a moment before standing and bowing low in the Fire Nation style. "Your Highness, I am Katara, new member of the Nonpareil squad." She straightened. "It would seem that I am one of your new bodyguards, Fire Lord." Katara felt a smile appear. "It seems we did see each other again."

Zuko's features turned from cold to warm with just a smile. "And a good think, too," he said. "I was thinking that it was all a dream."

They stared at each other for a little while before Iroh cleared his throat and said, "Will you join us, Zuko? I believe there is something that concerns the Nonpareils and, since the others are taking dancing lessons, Katara is the best person to discus it with."

Katara waited until Zuko sat on another pillow before taking her seat. She was still in shock that the man she'd spent the festival night with, was the man she was suppose to protect/kill. But why did he also have to be the one she had been attracted to? Karma was starting to be a real bi-

"It's good to see you again, Katara," Zuko said.

She smiled back, snapping back to the present, and said, "You too. If I had known you were the Fire Lord, I would have pulled some kind of prank on you."

Zuko chuckled. "I think you would have been the only one to do that." Katara blushed and looked down. Iroh cleared his throat again, snapping them back to the present. Zuko blinked. "Yes, well," he said. "There is a mission that I want the Nonpareils to undertake. There have been sightings of Water Tribe rebels in the South. We must travel there and stop their plans."

Katara paled. Her people? In the South? How did they get into the Fire Nation? And what were they planing? Did they know that they'd been spotted? Maybe, if she was sneaky enough, she could warn them.

Suddenly, she picked up something he'd said. "What do you mean, we?" she asked.

"I am going to be traveling with the Nonpareils on this mission," he said. "I want to see these rebels and kill them with my own hands."

Katara paled even more, but kept her eyes on her tea. This was not good. Her people were going to hunted down and she couldn't do a whole hell of a lot with Zuko along. Her target. This was getting more complicated by the moment. Well, at least she wasn't bored, right? Yup, this was one fun mission she had.


	8. Chapter 7: Traveling

Katara double checked the knots on her gear. She'd seen the route they were going to be taking and she didn't want to have to stop because of a fallen water skin. They had to make good time to get to high ground so they wouldn't get flooded. Breber had already picked out campsites and estimated times of arrival.

For the mission, everyone was traveling on ostrich-horses. Jack, Gawain, and Katara had been given their own uniforms. She was still getting use to the jerkin and the maneuverability it gave her. She'd have to practice her knife throwing with it on.

Someone came up behind her and placed a block of wood in her hand. She turned around and found Riom standing behind her. "Breber thought it would be a good idea if we continued with our original plan. We'll be doing wood working today. Or, at least, during our stops. Keep vigilant on the road. Rebels may have moved north since our last reports."

Katara nodded and slipped the block into her pocket. If they had moved north, they might be on the road. She didn't want any of her people to get hurt. Her hands shook for a moment and she clenched them. Riom noticed this and mistook it for nervousness. "Don't worry," he said, "Rebels rarely attack travelers. Then again, we're in uniform." He thought for a moment. "On second thought, go ahead and worry."

Katara gritted her teeth. "Thanks a lot, Riom," she said. Riom laughed and walked back to his own mount. But he had a point. She was in uniform, what if her own kind attacked her? She felt herself for her knives. Two up her sleeves, two in her boots, and one behind her neck. She was set.

"Good morning, Katara," Jack said cheerfully. Too cheerfully for her taste this early in the morning.

"Oh, shut up, Jack," she said, turning back to her saddle.

"What's wrong with you?" Gawain said, coming up to them.

Katara turned sharply. "Nothing," she snapped. Seeing the hurt on their faces, she flinched. "I'm sorry, guys. I just got some bad news from home," she lied

"Oh?" Jack asked.  
Katara ran her fingerless gloves over her hair. "I just got a letter yesterday that said...my father is sick and he may not recover," she said. The lie had fallen off her lips without a single twinge of guilt in her.

The twins squeezed her shoulders. "He'll be alright. If he's as strong as you, nothing will stop him from recovering."

Katara turned and smiled. Even in a lie, they gave her comfort. She hugged Jack, then Gawain. "Thanks, guys." Gawain and Jack smiled and hugged her back.

"I hate to break up your hug fest," Breber said, joining them. "But a letter just came for you, Katara."

Katara pulled away from the twins and accepted the envelope. She opened it and pulled out a gold pendent. She turned it over and smiled as she saw her patron goddess, Ethna, etched into the metal. A note came with it; _May the Goddess keep you safe and lead you true. Signed, Dad and Sokka. _

"Who's it from?" Gawain asked, looking over her shoulder.

Katara folded the note and stuffed it into her pocket. "From Dad. He's getting better and sent me my patron goddess' pendent to watch over me," she said, slipping the necklace over her head and under her tunic.

"Well, that's good." Jack said.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. So you can relax and enjoy the mission," Gawain said, slapping her back. Katara smiled and mounted her ostrich-horse. She settled herself comfortably in the saddle and watched as the others climbed onto their own mounts. She looked around, but couldn't see Zuko. Then, an ostrich-horse pulled up beside he and someone said, "Good morning, Katara."

She looked over and smiled at Zuko next to her. He was dressed in the same uniform as her and had the same gear attached to his saddle. "Good morning, Fire Lord," she said.

"Just call me Zuko, Katara," he said. "I'm not the Fire Lord on this mission."

Katara smiled. "That's good," she said. "I think the Fire Lord is too stuffy. Have you noticed that about him?"

Zuko chuckled. Breber rode up to them and said, "We're moving out. Katara, you and Zuko will be in the middle. Jack and Gawain will cover you and Niceros and Riom will be in the front. As soon as we leave the city, I want you to tighten the formation. If we travel closely and fast, we'll make the first stop by noon. We'll change into our other clothes then and move on."

"Yes, sir," Katara said, saluting.

As Breber turned his mount, Zuko leaned over and asked, "What other clothes?"  
"We can't very well be traveling all over the continent in Nonpareil uniforms if we're looking for rebels, right?" Zuko nodded. "Well, we decided to go with a cover story. The costumes we packed are part of that story."

Jack and Gawain moved their mounts into position, except the mounts were carrying bigger saddlebags than the others. "And what story is that?" Zuko asked as Riom and Niceros took their own positions.

Katara smiled secretly. "What? And give away the surprise?" she said.

Breber raised an arm and motioned forward. "Move out," he said. The team kicked their mounts into motion, running out of the palace gates and into the town. They passed through the Main Square and Iroh's shop. Katara saw him standing in the doorway and waved. He waved back and smiled.

It was too early in the day for anyone to be up, so the streets were fairly clear. The only people out were drunks returning home after a night of celebrating. The squad had little trouble getting out of the city gates. They tightened up and picked up speed. Katara kept one hand on the reins and the other on the saddle. Her hand was close enough to her daggers just incase of an ambush.

The riding was long and hard, but mostly silent. No one spoke. They were searching the woods, waiting for anything to happen. But everything was uneventful and they stopped at noon for lunch.

Katara slid from the saddle and winced at the stiffness in her legs. "You'll get use to that soon enough, newbies" Niceros said, sliding easily from his mount. Jack and Gawain were having the same problem.

"You'd better be nice to me, Niceros," Katara said. "I'm cooking dinner tonight." Niceros raised his hands in surrender.

"Hey, Kat!" Gawain said. She turned and caught the red bundle she was tossed. "Get dressed. We only have a few minutes."

Katara vanished behind a clump of trees and stripped out of her uniform. She then pulled on her new outfit. A red top that went over one shoulder and exposed her middle, grey loose trousers that stopped mid-calf, a red skirt, and a dark maroon colored scarf to tie around her hips. She pulled on the red chocker, gold arm band, and gold bangles. Katara fixed her hair into a half topknot and brushed the rest of her hair free. She then slipped the knives into pockets she'd previously sown into her skirt. The last thing she did was slip her pendent into another secret pocket. Katara walked out from the woods with her uniform under her arm, and pulled on her new sandals. Now, she looked like her new cover story.

She looked up and saw everyone staring at her. She noticed they'd all changed into their own outfits. Katara looked down at herself and then back up. "Is there something wrong with the costume?" she asked.

The men shook their heads. "You just look really..." Jack trailed off.

"Hot," Gawain provided.

Katara turned in a circle and smiled. "Thank you." She turned to Zuko and stifled a laugh. He was staring openly and looked completely mesmerized.

"Now, Zuko," she said, snapping him out of his daze. "I can tell you what our cover story is. We are traveling show folk, performing in different towns where ever we travel. We shall keep the same names, but we are no longer guards. I am a knife thrower, Jack and Gawain are acrobats as well as tightrope walkers, Breber is our manager, Niceros is our strong man, Riom will be Breber's assistant and money keeper; and you, Zuko, will be our announcer. Did you get all that?"

Zuko nodded.

"All right," Breber said. "Let's move out, group. We have to make it to the next town by night fall and it's a good 20 miles still."

Katara and Zuko mounted up. "How did you come up with such a story?" he asked.

"It was all Gawain's idea," Katara said. "We were making jokes yesterday about learning new things and that, if the Nonpareils didn't work out, we could become a circus. And, anyway, traveling performers are very common. No one would question our moving."

Zuko nodded in understanding and fell silent.

Gawain had moved his ostrich-horse up closer to her to make it less of a formation. Katara turned to him. "How did dancing lessons go? Did you have fun?"

Gawain cringed a bit. "Hardly. That Lady Aza made us learn the waltz. I can't dance worth salt, apparently. Her words, not mine," he said when he saw the confused look on Katara's face. Gawain sighed. "I stepped on my partner's toes so many times, I think she's flatfooted now."

Katara giggled. "That's not as bad as mine," Jack said. "I got partnered with Lady Aza herself. During the entire time when I was suppose to make polite conversation, she was chatting about how to properly look someone in the eye. It took the entire dance lesson. I believe I'm deaf."

Katara burst into full laughter. The others looked back toward her. "What about you, Niceros?" she asked through her tears.

He extended his arms wide and said, "I was dancing on air. My partner was a sweet little beauty with a long brown braid, gorgeous grey eyes, and was an angle in pink."

Zuko straightened. "Her name wouldn't happen to be Ty lee, would it?" he asked.

"Yeah," Niceros said.

Zuko smiled to himself. "Watch out when she jabs. She's a master at knowing which spots to hit to block your charma."

Niceros looked back and smiled with a glint in his eye. "Really?" he asked, intrigued.

Katara rolled her eyes and looked at Riom. "What about you, Riom?" she asked.

Riom shrugged. "My partner was tall, black hair put up into two buns, and sounded pretty bored." He said it nonchalantly, but Katara could hear the interest underneath.

"That sounds like Mai," Zuko said. "She likes knives and hates being bored." Riom didn't say anything, but he did quicken his carving. Katara looked at the carving and noticed two buns on top.

Jack leaned over. "Don't ask Breber," he whispered. "He was stuck with Princess Azula. I've never seen so much flirting, if you could call it that."

Katara and Zuko looked over at him. "Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Well, Azula was trying to flirt, I think. She kept commenting on his appearance, but then it switched to battle tactics and statistics. Breber was the same way," Gawain said.

"It was awkward between them," Jack said.

"But I think they like each other," Gawain finished.

Katara looked at Zuko. His eyes were wide, but he only shrugged. "I hope she doesn't eat him alive," was all he said.

"So," she said, looking back at the twins, "Would you mind showing me what you learned after we've stopped?"

Jack and Gawain both bowed and said, "We would be honored, my gracious lady."

Katara laughed and put a hand to her cheek. "Oh, dear," she said, "I feel as if I am about to faint from having been asked to dance by two hansom gentlemen. What is a lady suppose to do?"

They all laughed and Gawain said, "But you'll have to learn it anyway. Lady Aza said that everyone was suppose to practice."

Katara groaned. She hatted homework. Especially dancing homework. She'd learned the steps long ago and didn't see why she had to waste her time relearning everything. But, oh well. At least she'd see the others fail at their dancing.

"The town's just ahead," Breber called.

Katara looked up and noticed the sky was darkening. Had they really been traveling for that long? She must have been in thought pretty deep not to have noticed.

"Let's go and give those people a nice show!" Gawain said happily.

Katara rolled her eyes and kicked her mount into a trot, like the rest of them.


	9. Chapter 8: First Performance Don't Fall

The town was celebrating their own festival. Apparently, in the Fire Nation, they celebrated with the huge ceremony in the city, then all towns celebrated their own way. This worked perfectly for their cover. No one asked or questioned them when they rode into town and stopped in the middle of the street.

"My ladies and gentlemen," Zuko cried as he stood on top of his ostrich-horse. "May I have your attention?" Some people turned toward him. But no one stared at his scar, for it was covered with a patch to make him look more rugged. "Right from the Fire Nation Colonies, I present to you the magnificent, talented, and striking members of the Flamer's Heart."

Jack and Gawain rolled off their mounts and landed on their hands. They reached out, clasped hands, and twisted so they stood on each other's feet. The crowd applauded and the ostrich-horses were moved out of the circle that had formed of onlookers.

Jack backflipped and landed on his feet, just in time to link his fingers together and launch his running brother up into the air. Gawain twisted three times and landed with his arms outstretched. Jack then rushed him, but jumped and landed on Gawain's shoulders. They looked over at Katara. She raced towards them and Gawain hauled her up to sit on his shoulder. The crowd cheered.

Jack put his hands under Gawain's feet and lifted him off his shoulders so he stood straight. Gawain then took Katara's hands and slowly lowered her. She put her feet on Jack's shoulders and flipped back. She landed on her feet and bowed to the applause. Gawain then flipped off and landed next to her, bowing as well. The two boys took their last bows and moved off to the side to let Katara have her room.

She drew her knives out and clicked them together with the sound of the drums from a near by band. She started to dance, first turning one way, then another. She picked up the pace and was soon twirling in circles. Niceros tossed apples up into the air around her. Katara tossed the knives, driving them dead center into the fruit. As the music stopped, Katara leaned back, so her body was parallel to the ground, and caught her knives as they fell. The last she caught in her teeth. The crowd cheered and Katara bowed, offering the apples to children she saw around the ring. They immediately started to compare the cut marks on them as if they were some rare collecting statue.

"Fabulous, isn't it, folks!" Zuko cried, stepping into the ring. Riom was walking around with a hat, collecting coins. "Now, we have here an extraordinary man who can lift almost anything. Niceros."

Niceros stepped out in pants that showed off his muscular legs and a sleeveless tunic. He flexed and winked at some of the maidens, who giggled and blushed. He walked over to a bench, where three full grown men were enjoying their booze. With a courteous bow, he grabbed the bench and lifted it high above his head. People in the crowd gasped. Niceros transferred it from one hand to another and then set it back down without spilling a drop of alcohol.

The three men laughed and offered Niceros a glass. He smiled and accepted it, downing it in one toss. He then turned to the torch hanging from a support beam, and spit the whiskey out in a stream. It caused the fire to flare out. Many people in the audience gasped and others laughed, but everyone clapped.

"My dear friends," Zuko called, drawing everyone's attention, once again. "We have one last trick we would like to share with you before we depart for this evening. If you will look above your heads, you shall see the wire that holds your celebration banner." People looked up to stare at the wire. "Now, my friends, our Master Acrobats and our Mistress of Knives shall perform 'Theater of the Highwire'." Even more people craned their necks up.

Jack and Gawain walked out onto the rope as if it were second nature to them. Gawain was holding a knife, carving an apple. Jack was watching him. Katara walked out of the shadows, leaning against the pole the wire was connected to. She was juggling her knives.

"You're carving that apple the wrong way, Gawain," Jack said, suddenly, loud enough so people could hear below.

"No, I'm not," Gawain said. "You've just always carved it wrong."

"I have not," Jack said.

"You have, too." Gawain said.

Jack turned and saw Katara. "We'll ask that miss over there. She'll know the right way to peel an apple." He walked over to Katara and said, "Miss, would you mind settling an argument? I say I carve the apple correctly, and my brother says I don't. Would you mind telling us who is correct?"

Katara caught her knives and said, "Well, certainly." She followed Jack out onto the wire a little shakily and stopped when they were close to Gawain. "Let me see you carve the apple."

Gawain took the apple, spun it on his finger, and used the knife to slice the skin away. The red skin fell into the crowd, which applauded. Katara pulled out a fresh apple and handed it to Jack. "Let me see you carve the apple," she said. Jack took the apple and the knife, and started to carve. As the skin came off, a word appeared in the apple. When he was done, it spelt _Lover, _and Jack presented it to Katara. Some of the girls giggled.

Katara smiled. "Well, it would seem that both of you are talented with carving an apple. I think we better let the audience decide. To let Master Gawain be the champion?" The crowd cheered. "To let Master Jack be the champion?" The crowd cheered again, but most were females. "Then it is decided! The champion, and best of apple carvers is, Master Jack." The crowd applauded.

Jack jumped off the high wire and landed in the circle. "I'm sorry, Master Gawain," Katara said, placing her hand upon his shoulder. "I guess that's just the way the apple peals." A few groans came from the crowd at the bad joke, as well a couple of good natured boos and drunken laughter. Gawain jumped off the wire and landed beside his brother. They bowed up to Katara and extended their hands. Katara jumped and landed in their hands, posing as a queen would on her throne.

The crowd applauded and moved in for congratulations and compliments. A few children rushed forward with paper and pen, asking for autographs. Niceros joined the others and signed autographs, as well as kiss a few girls' cheeks. The three men from the bench moved forward and offered to buy the group a drink.

Katara found Zuko by her elbow and linked her arm with his to make sure he didn't get left behind in the crowd. The contact made her warm and she blushed. She shouldn't be having that kind of reaction, but she was. Their eyes met and she could see the fire in them blaze up in the gold coloring. She found herself wanting to move in closer, but she only made her way into the tavern the others had gone into.

As she pushed the door open, Zuko pulled her closer and guided her over to the others. To all the customers, they were just two young people in love. But Gawain and Niceros were having a silent she's-gonna-get-some-action-tonight conversation with their eyes, Jack was talking to the bar maid, Riom was carving, and Breber was giving them a look that Katara...truthfully, couldn't figure out. He wasn't upset, but he wasn't pleased. It was like he was stuck in the middle.

Zuko pulled out a seat for Katara and she sat. He took a seat next to her and they listened to the three men who'd offered them drinks. "That was a wonderful performance," the first one said.

"Yeah, never saw jumping like that," the second one added, taking a drink from his glass. He was definitely drunk.

The third was the most sober. "How long have you been a performance group?" he asked.

"Not long," Jack answered. "We came from the Colonies, hoping some people would enjoy our act long enough for us to earn enough money so we could move to the next town."

"Which road are you taking?" the third man asked.

Breber spoke up, this time, looking away from Katara and Zuko. Katara was secretly glad to be away from his stare. "The south road down to Na Ting. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, there's been reports about rebels around and the like," the first man said. "Nasty business. But they don't seem to attack villagers and poor people. Just rich and nobility." He laughed. "Guess they're lookin' for the Fire Lord."

The others at the table laughed, except Zuko. He had bowed his head, hiding it under his hood. He seemed stiff and frozen. Had he not thought about himself being a target when he came on this mission? It was possible. Running a whole Nation, and setting up plans for someone to fill in during his absence, doesn't leave one to think freely.

Katara felt herself feeling sorry for him and his busy life. She reached over and put a hand over his clasped hands on the table. He looked up in surprise and met her eyes. Katara smiled softly, putting as much encouragement as she could in her smile. Zuko smiled back and ran a thumb over her fingers.

"So," the drunk said. "When are you two getting married?"

Katara looked over at the man, shock written on her face. "Married?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said in a drunken slur. "You know. Stand before a preacher, say 'I do', exchange rings, ride off to a wedding night,-"

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling. "But I believe you are mistaken. Zuko and I are not getting married. We are not even a couple."

The man looked over them. "Well, then you two hold hands and smile at each other a little too much to be just friends. You two go well together," he said. He pointed a finger at Zuko and slurred, "You better do right by her, boy, or I'll-" He didn't finish. He fell over backwards and slid to the floor, out cold.

"Sorry about Li," the third man said. "He's a hopeless romantic at times. Especially when he's drunk. I think that's the only reason his wife married him." He looked at Katara and Zuko. "But he is right that you two go well together."

Katara looked over at Zuko and blushed when her eyes met his. They did look well together, if she was to be truthful with herself. But nothing could ever happen. Even if they weren't on the opposite sides. He was royalty and she was lower level. Only in fairy tales, yeah? She was saved from any further depressing thoughts when the bar maid arrived with their drinks. She picked up the wooden mug.

"A toast," Breber said, raising his mug. "To the successful premier of Flamer's Heart." The others copied the toast and drank.

The powerful drink burned Katara's throat as she swallowed and she coughed. Setting her drink down, she placed a hand over her chest and tried to draw air into her lungs. She looked at the mug. "What is this?" she asked.

"The best fire whiskey in all of Fire Nation," the first man said, downing his entire mug.

Katara felt her stomach begin to warm and tentatively took another sip. This one didn't make her cough as much and it didn't burn her throat as bad, either.

"I think it's pretty good," Gawain said, tossing the rest back.

"You're crazy, then," Katara said.

"Oh, I don't know," Zuko said, swirling the liquid in his around a bit. "If you drink it slowly and a few sips at a time, it's not so bad."

Katara shrugged and took another sip. She might as well finish it, since these men had been so kind as to pay for them. It burned her again as she swallowed, but there was no coughing this time. Good, she was getting use to it.

"So," Breber said. "What do these rebels look like? Just incase we see them."

The third man swallowed his liquor and said, "Well, you can tell by their clothes, first off. They wear a lot of blue." Katara coughed, spitting back some of the drink. The team looked at her, but she just waved her hand in front of her, signaling to her drink. Hopefully, they would just write it off to her inexperience with booze. Thankfully, they did and the man continued.

"And another thing, they jump from the trees, screaming and yelling. If they do that, just clump and watch each others' backs. I'm not sure what they do to people they capture, but I'm sure they wouldn't harm a woman."

Katara used a napkin and cleaned up the spill. No, her tribe wouldn't harm a woman, but others would. Other tribes who thought that every Fire Nation scum should die. Man, woman, and child. She prayed that the Elders had been wise enough to not send those tribes. Reckless actions got people dead and caught real fast.

Suddenly, Katara felt her eyes begin to grow heavy. She leaned against Zuko's shoulder and closed her eyes. "You alright?" Zuko's soft voice asked. It sounded so far away.

"Just a little tired," she mumbled.

"I'll take you up to a room," he said and stood up. Katara opened her eyes and followed Zuko up the stairs after excusing herself from the table and wishing everyone a good night. She felt Zuko's hand grip hers and she allowed him to pull her down the hallway to a room. She was led in and gently pushed onto a bed. Zuko removed her sandals and put her under the covers. It was a sweet action and totally uncharacteristic of the stereo type Katara had ruled all royalty.

As Zuko started to leave, she felt her hand reach out and grab his sleeve. She also heard herself say "Stay". There was a pause and then the mattress behind her dipped as Zuko laid behind her. A warm arm wrapped around her waist and she drifted off into sleep.


	10. Chapter 9: Attack andKiss?

**Caution: Some violence, suggestive content, and swearing. But it makes the story more fun, right?**

When Katara awoke the next morning, her head felt slightly buzzed and her ears were ringing. The last thing she remembered clearly was drinking that fire whiskey. The rest was a bit fuzzy. Had she gone to bed? She was on a mattress, so she guessed that was correct. Or had someone put her to bed?

Katara tried to move, but felt something keeping her immobile. She opened her eyes and winced as bright sunlight pierced her eyes. She moaned and turned away from it. But she was then faced with a different sight. Zuko asleep beside her, his arm draped across her waist.

Suddenly, everything came flooding back to her. He'd taken her upstairs after she'd almost fallen asleep against him. He'd taken off her sandals and put her to bed. But she'd asked him to stay. Why? He was the enemy. Why would she ask him to stay? Then again, this was very nice and warm.

Zuko shifted and pulled her closer. Katara was wrapped in a blanket of warmth and couldn't help but snuggle closer. Slowly, the buzzing in her head subsided and her eyes closed of their own accord.

"You really can't hold your liquor, can you, Katara?"

She opened her eyes and stared into his golden gaze. He'd been awake the entire time. "You know," she said, "I should punch you for taking advantage of me while I'm asleep."

"Hey, you're the one who wanted me to stay," Zuko said, smiling. "Besides," he moved his leg between hers, making her gasp. "I think you like this."

Katara glanced down at his lips and licked her own. "Yeah, well...you could be wrong," she said, leaning closer.

Zuko smiled. "I don't think so." He leaned in until they were inches apart.

Just then, the door opened and Gawain walked in with Niceros behind him. "Oh," he said, snickering. "Excuse us."

Katara sat up and smoothed her hair back. "Uh, Breber wants you both downstairs and ready to leave within the half hour," Niceros said, trying to hide his own smile.

"Alright," Katara said, standing up. "We'll be down in a few minutes."

Gawain nodded and stared. "You know, if you need any help with-"

"Good-bye, Gawain," Katara said, pushing them out the door.

He turned to look at her and whispered, "Great job, Kat." He winked, but Katara rolled her eyes and closed the door.

She turned to Zuko and bit her lip to keep her groan at seeing him on the bed. He had taken the patch off and was also shirtless. It really didn't help that the sun cast shadows over his hard abs. Katara's grip on the door handle tightened. Oh. Why did he have to look so good?

Katara swallowed and walked over to the bed. She sat on the opposite side of the bed and slipped her sandals on. An arm wrapped around her middle and warm breath tickled her ear. She closed her eyes and pulled her will back before it was completely gone. "I think we should get ready and go downstairs," she said, though she didn't move.

"I guess you're right," Zuko said, though he didn't move, either.

Katara turned her head and swallowed as she realized he was so close. Zuko leaned in for a kiss, but Katara stood abruptly and said, "I think I'll go get some breakfast." She headed toward the door. "See you downstairs, Zuko." As she closed the door, she leaned against it and let out a breath. That was close.

Katara headed downstairs and found the group already having their meal of bread, cheese, fruit, and meat. She slid into a spot next to Jack and grabbed a slice of bread. Gawain leaned over and said, "Have a good night?"

She shot him a glare. "I don't see how that is any of your business."

"Someone's in a snippy mood today," he said. "What, wasn't it any good?"

"What wasn't good?" Zuko said, joining them.

Gawain flushed a bit, but covered. "The mattresses here. Mine was really lumpy."

"Too bad," Zuko said, taking a seat. "Mine was quite comfortable and warm."

Katara blushed and took a drink of water. She felt the glances her team was giving her. Breakfast was finished quickly and they went to get their ostrich-horses. Breber pulled her aside while the others got the mounts and gear. "Did anything happen last night?" he asked.

Katara shook her head. "No. I only went to bed," she said. She lowered her voice a bit, "And kind of asked him to stay. But nothing happened," she assured him quickly.

"Nothing?" Breber asked.

"Nothing," she assured. "I was drunk and Zuko just put me to bed. He was being kind and that is all." Katara sighed. "Look, chief, I'm not so naïve as to believe in any of those fairy tales that a girl from a lower class grows up to marry a prince. I'm not going to start anything up with Zuko."

Breber nodded. "Good. As long as you know that." He stared off into the distance and sadly said, "Soldiers and royalty don't mix."

Katara nodded. She turned to go, but turned back after a pause. "Breber," she said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I may not be able to have a relationship with Zuko, but that doesn't mean that you should give up on Azula."

Breber jolted in surprise. "What-"

"It's no use hiding it to me, Breber," Katara said. "Any woman can see that you pin after the princess. And it's because she's a princess that I say go ahead with it." Now, Breber was confused.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.

Katara smiled. "She's a princess, not the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord has to marry someone for political reasons above anything else. The princess is basically in the back ground. If she struck up a relation with a soldier, and not just any soldier, a Nonpareil soldier; not many people would really care. Some would even encourage it by saying that you could protect her."

As her ostrich-horse was pulled up beside her, she mounted. "Anyway," she said, slipping her feet into the stirrups. "You seem to be the only man that she's comfortable talking with on a flirting level."

She left Breber thinking over what she'd said, and headed over to Riom. He was slouched in the saddle, carving away like he always did. "Good morning, Riom," she said.

He looked up and nodded. "Morning." He stopped his carving for a moment and leaned forward. "Hey, how did you learn those acrobat tricks and that tightrope walking so fast?"

Katara shrugged. "Jack and Gawain taught me a few things before left. You know, after your dance lessons."

Riom nodded. He looked over at Breber. "You giving Breber advice on his Azula problem?" he asked.

Katara looked over at her captain, who had finally mounted his ostrich-horse. "I told him that not many people would look down on him if he started a relationship with her. But the rest is up to him, I guess. If he wants to date her, then he'll have to do that himself."

Riom shrugged and went back to his carving. It was starting to look like the woman Katara had seen in the ball room. Mai, Zuko had said her name was. It was life like in its detail. "So, what about you and Zuko?" Riom asked suddenly.

Katara jerked a bit, pulling on the reins. Her ostrich-horse sidestepped and she hurried to get her mount under control. The group looked at her, but she smiled sheepishly. They turned back to their own gear after a second.

"What?" Katara asked, forcing a laugh. "Zuko and I do not have anything going on, so there is nothing 'about' us." There never could be. For obvious reasons.

Riom smirked. "Then why do you defend yourself so quickly?" he asked. Katara stared at him and watched as he clicked his mount into a walk.

The team was heading out and she hurried to join them. Some people waved them good-bye, requesting that they come back soon to perform again.

They traveled for a while, stopping for lunch and rest breaks. Gawain and Jack practiced a couple of acrobatic tricks and Niceros napped under a tree. Katara spent this break learning wood carving from Riom. She messed up a couple of times, but Riom said that it was alright. "If you make a mistake, try and make it into what you're carving." he said.

"I never thought carving could be so difficult," she said, nicking off too much of the wood. She sighed. "I'm never gonna get this, Riom."

Riom smiled and nudged her shoulder. "You will, Katara. Don't expect to learn everything on your first try. When I first started, my cat looked like a lopsided giraffe."

Katara laughed and went back to her carving. She looked around quickly and noticed that Breber and Zuko hadn't come back from getting fresh water. "Where's Breber and Zuko?" she asked.

"They're a bit tied up at the moment," a voice said behind her. She turned around, knife at the ready and froze as she saw her captain and charge bound and gagged against a tree.

A tall man with his black hair pulled into a pony tail, was standing next to them, dressed in a blue Water Tribe tunic. He stepped out of the woods and said, "Capture them." A swarm of people jumped out of the forest, grabbing them and holding their arms behind their back. Two men grabbed Katara's arms and pinned them behind her.

The man walked up and smiled down at her. "It's been a while, Katara," he said.

Katara's heart picked up. This numskull was going to blow her mission if he lets too much out. "I can't say I'm happy to see you, Koda." she said, glaring at him.

"You know this guy?" Jack asked, struggling against his captors.

Katara hoped Koda would understand her. "We met back at the Colonies. Can't say I cared for him there, either."

Koda chuckled and cupped her chin. She leaned away from his touch. "You had a smart mouth then, too," he said.

"Smarter than you could ever be," she said. Koda raised his hand and slapped her. Her head turned and she gritted her teeth at the pain. She knew that the slap was necessary to sell her cover, but it still hurt! She saw her team yank at their bonds, but, what surprised her the most, was the angry look in his eyes. He cared that much?

Koda leaned forward. "Don't back talk to me, you filthy Fire Nation whore," he hissed. He captured her chin again, leaning forward. "You been giving the goods to all of these men, why not give some to me?" He slammed his lips over hers.

Katara cringed and tried to pull back, but Koda pulled her closer, pinning her arms to her sides. She struggled, but his grip tightened as he tongue tried to force its way past her lips. Katara reached into her pocket and grabbed a knife. Instinct kicked in, then. She was beyond caring about the cover, now.

Her body drew her knife out of the pocket, brought it up, and sliced his arm. Koda released her and grabbed his arm. "You-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, Koda," she warned, dropping into a protective stance and drawing out another knife.

He glared at her. "We've never hurt a woman before and we've orders not to," he growled. He jerked to his men and they vanished into the forest. Koda advanced toward her for a step, but stopped when Katara pulled one of her knives back. He stepped back toward the forest. "You will regret this, Katara. You'll die by our hands." Then, he vanished.

Katara waited for a moment, listening for an indication that they weren't alone. When she was sure, she hurried to Breber and untied him. "What happened?" Katara asked as she worked on Zuko's binds.

He pulled the gag out and sighed. "We were getting water and they jumped us. Their waterbenders used water whips to freeze us so the others could bind and gag us," Breber said, rotating his shoulders.

Katara stilled her movements. "Waterbenders?" she said.

"About three. Two men and one woman with white hair. All young," Breber said, standing up.

Katara went back to untying Zuko. A woman with white hair. That must be Yui, the leader of the North Pole Waterbenders. So, it was one of the most dangerous tribes the Elders had sent. And she'd just made the second in command mad beyond all reason. She was dead.

She finished untying Zuko. He reached up and touched the bruise. Katara flinched. "I should have killed him," he growled.

Katara smiled weakly. "It doesn't hurt that much," she said.

He raised his thumb and rubbed it over her bottom lip. Katara shivered. He watched her and stared at her lips. "I should dismember him for kissing you," he said. Katara stared at him in surprise. Zuko felt this strongly about the incident?

Zuko pulled her closer and touched his lips to hers. Katara was so shocked, she was frozen in place. Slowly, her eyes closed and she leaned into the kiss. Zuko cupped her face and pulled back slightly. "There," he said. "Now you have my taste on your lips instead of his."

Katara was shocked speechless. She had just kissed her enemy and target...and loved it! She stared at him and licked her lips. They tasted like dark charcoal and strong mint.

"Katara!" Breber called. "Hurry up and mount. We're moving out before those rebels get too far."

She nodded and stood. Zuko stood, as well. Katara turned to him and said, with a smile, "You taste much better than him, Zuko." She turned and climbed into her saddle.

Zuko mounted beside her and smiled. "That's always good news," he said and slapped the reins.


	11. Chapter 10: Decision

They made camp that night, a few feet from a stream, surrounded by thick brush and trees. Since it was a nice night, and little chance of rain, they didn't set up their tents. Instead, they just built a fire, ate basic food, and discussed what had happened today.

"How did you know that one man. Koda, I think you called him?" Breber asked.

Katara stared at the fire. "Yes, that's his name," she said, calmly. This was to be her biggest lie yet. "I met him in the market one day. My family had gone to sell our produce. There were some new soldiers that had been rotated to our town. Koda had come by the stand and had looked over the vegetables for what seemed ages. I should have known what was going on, but I was busy with helping other customers. Some of the new soldiers came up and were talking with me."

Katara swallowed as she saw the fictional scene play out in the fire. "Koda suddenly attacked them with a club I'd never seen before. He beat those pour soldiers within an inch of their lives before my father could pull him off. And then, he just disappeared. I thought he was gone."

"Apparently not," Breber said. He finished his bread. "At least we now know they have waterbenders in their ranks."

"Their intimidation techniques could use some work," Niceros said, glancing at Katara. "But they're effective, it seems, to anger people."

She kept staring into the fire. She wasn't all too proud of attacking one of her people. Even if it was Koda. The incident had been real, just that, she had been on look out. Even then, Koda had shown an evil and corrupt side of him that was too dark to even go near.

Katara had just reacted when he'd kissed her. And she believed he'd enjoyed hitting her. There had been a passion behind his punch. And not an angry passion, but one of desire. Desire to do more, to make her hurt. That power had scared Katara back to her primitive instincts and training. Hurt them before they could hurt you. It was only a miracle that she had contained herself not to use bending, or to kill one of her own.

"Katara," Zuko said, touching her shoulder.

She jerked out of her thoughts. "Sorry," she said, rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm. "What were you saying?"

Breber shook his head. "Nothing, lass. Why don't you turn in? We'll be moving bright and early in the morning."

Katara nodded and crawled into her sleeping bag. Soon, she was dozing and then asleep. She had no dreams, which was unusual for her. All she could see was blackness. Then, just as quickly as she'd fallen asleep, someone was jerking her shoulder.

She sat up, palming a knife, and froze as she saw a woman with white hair, dressed in a blue tunic. Her pale eyes stared back at Katara. The woman motioned to keep quiet and for Katara to follow her. She moved back to the woods, waiting for Katara to follow.

Katara shimmied out of her sleeping bag. She checked the others in the campsite. Everyone was asleep and the embers were slowly dying down. The light that was left cast peaceful shadows over Zuko's scarred face. He'd put his sleeping bag next to hers sometime during the night. She took one last glimpse of him before following the woman into the woods.

They walked soundlessly to the stream and stopped. The woman extended her hand and water floated up to cover her skin. She looked at Katara. "I have seen the damage you have done to Koda," she said simply.

Katara stared at the river, longing to bend, but knowing that it was too risky. Not with the others not too far away. "He deserved it," she said.

"I did not say he did not," the woman said.

Katara looked at the woman. "Yui, why are you here? It is risky to visit me. My cover story could be breached."

Yui turned and stepped forward. "The Elders have sent us with an important message," she said. She extended her hand. Katara looked down at it and had to place a hand over her mouth to stop the gasp. There, in Yui's hand, was a dagger. Blue hilt with silver binding and a water symbol at the end. On the blade was Katara's name. It was the dagger given to all women of their tribes. "The Elders will accept you back to the tribe, and we will escort you back, as soon as you kill the Fire Lord."

Yui's emotionless voice drew Katara back. Her hand went to the Fire Nation womanhood dagger at her waist. It was a constant reminder of why she was there. But, gradually, she had forgotten herself; her Water Tribe self. She was starting to question who she really was.

"I see you are at an indecision," Yui said. With a wave of her arm, a large wave rose up and froze. "Look into the ice and see who you once were."

Katara looked at the ice and gasped as she saw herself in her blue water tribe tunic with the white fur lining the hem and sleeves. Her hair was pulled into a braid with her front strands looped back behind her head.

She fell to her knees in front of the ice and her image copied her. Except her image was now kneeling gracefully and smiling. The real Katara placed her hand against the icy mirror, her image copying her. Katara felt tears come to her eyes. Had she changed that much? Was she no longer the person she once was? She bowed her head and fisted her hand. The image just smiled at her, as if understanding what she was feeling.

The real Katara looked up and the water fell back into the stream. Yui walked up to her and stopped by her shoulder. "Kill the Fire Lord and you can go home a hero. You'll be a woman and be able to marry. Isn't that what you wanted?" she asked.

Katara stayed on her knees, caught in a hurricane of thoughts. Yes, she wanted to go home and be a woman, to marry and have children. She didn't want to kill anyone. She didn't want anyone hurt. But people got hurt in her line of work. They died. She'd accepted that, but it was still hard to act upon.

She thought of Zuko. Smiling, smooth Zuko who had kissed her not long ago. Who had wanted only to be normal on the night of the festival, dragging her down an alley to escape his watchdogs. Who had shown sheer joy in playing the announcer for their fake circus group. She pictured his face clearly in her mind.

Suddenly, it changed. Zuko was lying cold and bloody on the ground. His eyes stared at her in confusion, hurt, and betrayal. She had killed him with her deadly knives. And she stood above his lifeless body, blood dripping from her weapons, and she said nothing at all. She just stared without moving an inch. In the background, she could see her team staring at her with disappointment, disgust, and hate.

Katara opened her eyes. They had accepted her as a woman without even needing to see her dagger. They had defended her and laughed with her and turned to her as their equal. She loved them as if they were her true family. Which, to her, they were beginning to be. She would not let anyone else be hurt for the sake of a stupid dagger and its meaning.

She stood and looked at Yui. "Answer me one thing," she said. Yui nodded. "Why is the Fire Lord a target? Why was I sent to kill him."

Yui stared for a moment. She probably read Katara's final decision, but she answered anyway. "He is in the way. The Water Tribe was asked to take him out. The Elders accepted."

"Why me?"

Again, Yui was silent for a moment. "You have Ethna on your side. She is a ruthless goddess and no one has picked her for ages. You were trained I her image and you were given the pendent to remind you of your mission." A soft smile crept onto the woman's lips. "Though you have found what you really want."

Yui turned to go, but Katara stopped her. "Yui," she said, making the woman pause. "What will happen to me, now that I have given up my chances at a life in the Water Tribe?"

The white haired woman turned. "I will tell the Elders of what has happened. They will decide your punishment...But it is a safe bet that you shall be hunted down and executed on the charges of treason." Katara swallowed. She figured as much.

Yui smiled a bit, though sadly. "Of course, this may take a week or so to accomplish."

Katara nodded. "Thank you, Yui." She paused for a moment. "If I may ask one last question?" she said. Yui nodded. "Who wants Zuko dead?"

Yui sighed. "I do not know that, Katara. Only the Elders do." She bowed and said, "I wish you luck and happiness. Your family shall miss you." With that, she turned and walked away, fading into the shadows.

Katara looked at the river and noticed something glinting in the moonlight. She bent and picked it up. It was the dagger Yui had brought. Katara traced her fingers over the smooth surface, suppressing her tears. Crying would do no good. She'd made her decision and she would stand by it. From now on, she was a Fire Nation citizen, who had given her heart to her team and to the Fire Lord. They were her only family, now. Everything else was dead.

The tears threatened to spill and she let them. She drew her arm back and tossed the knife into the middle of the stream. It landed with a wet _thunk_ and sank under the surface. Katara took a deep breath and walked back to the camp.

No one had awakened, though Niceros had rolled over in his sleep and was now snoring loudly. Katara smiled a bit and slid back into her sleeping bag. It was still warm and she suspected Zuko had something to do with that.

She closed her eyes and let herself be taken over by the peaceful world of dreams, not realizing two of the members of her team were staring at each other. They had seen everything.


	12. Chapter 12: Love Tonight

Everyone was in a cautious mood in the morning as they broke camp, searching the woods for any sign of the rebels. Katara was still tired, but she rolled up her sleeping bag and tied it to her saddle. Jack and Gawain were talking over by their mounts. They had big smiles on their faces and glanced over at her. Katara was instantly on alert. Those two were planning something.

"Katara." She turned and found Zuko beside her.

"Oh, good morning, Zuko," she said. She yawned and shook her head, clearing out the rest of the dream fuzz.

He smiled slightly. "Is my presence that boring?" he asked.

Katara smiled, her mood lightening a bit. "No," she said. "I didn't sleep well last night. All that talk about rebels just...didn't help me sleep."

Zuko rubbed her arms, drawing closer to her. "Well, don't worry," he said in a low voice. "I'll save you from the rebels."

Katara met his eyes and burst into laughter. Everyone else looked over at her. She breathed deeply. "I'm sorry," she said through her laughter. "You just sound so ridiculous-"

Zuko stopped her with a firm kiss. Katara froze but closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss with a surprising amount of boldness. Zuko moved his hands to her back and she felt the warmth radiating off him. Katara moaned slightly as she let herself enjoy the kiss. Dark charcoal and strong mint. That could be her new favorite taste. It definitely worked on Zuko.

Jack cleared his throat. "If you two don't mind, we have to move out if we want to make the next town by nightfall," he said.

"Yeah," Gawain said with a smile. "You two lovebirds can make out later."

Katara stepped back and smiled shyly. She met Zuko's gaze and said, "I think we better mount up." Zuko rolled his eyes but stepped away and headed over to his ostrich-horse.

As Katara mounted, she looked over and saw the look in Breber's eyes. "I know," she mumbled under her breath so he heard.

"You're getting into something that will never work," Breber said.

"Then I better get as much fun out of it as I can, shouldn't I?" Katara said. She was thinking of the time she had left until her team found out about her past. She might as well use the time she had left in making memories that were good, before bad ones took their place.

"You're going to get hurt," Breber said.

Katara met his worried eyes. Would he still worry about her if he knew? But she smiled and said, "I know." Breber sighed and nodded. He'd let her do things her way and face the consequences.

The group moved out in a trot, but soon slowed down. As they traveled, the team relaxed until they were joking again.

Katara took out the block of wood and her carving knife. She did her best, but her hands weren't as skillful as Riom's. Then again, she doubted anyone's hands were.

"It's a bird," Jack said, looking at her wood.

"Nah, it's platypus-bear," Niceros said.

"You're both wrong," Gawain chirped. "It's a flame."

Katara chuckled. "You're both wrong," she said.

"Then what is it?" Jack asked.

She blushed. She mumbled something.

"What?" Gawain said.

"It's a heart," she said a little louder.

The boys laughed. "Katara's in love!" Jack said.

"I am not!" she said, turning a darker shade of red. Zuko was having a hard time not laughing, but he was blushing a bit, too.

"Zuko and Katara sittin' in a tree," Gawain chanted.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Jack added.

"Oh, that's real mature, guys" Katara said. Gawain leaned over and grabbed the block of wood. He kicked his mount into a canter. "Hey!" she said, smiling.

"Come and get it, Katara," he said.

She smiled at the challenge and galloped after him. Gawain turned and rushed down the road. Jack followed, laughing. The rest of the group just smiled as they watched the youngest ones play.

Katara followed Gawain around the bend of the road and pulled up short when she saw him leaning on the front of his saddle. The wood was in his hand and there was a serious expression on his face. "We need to talk," he said.

"Now," Jack said, stopping behind her.

Katara felt nervous. "What's up, guys?" she asked.

"We know," they said together. Katara bowed her head for a moment, bitting her lip. Two little words. That's all it took to bring down everything.

She looked up, her face completely calm. "How long have you known?" she asked.

"Since last night," Jack said.

"We followed you," Gawain said.

"We witnessed the entire meeting between you and that woman."

"Yui," Gawain said.

"Yeah. Yui," Jack said.

Katara nodded. "So, what now?" she asked. "You know what I...was. Are you going to turn me in?"

Jack and Gawain looked at each other. "Actually, we were going to blackmail you into doing our laundry."

Katara stared. "What?" she said, confused. "But-but-"

Jack smiled. "We heard and saw everything...including you throwing the dagger away."

"You gave up everything...for us," Gawain said. "I, personally, am touched. It's kind of sweet."

"We also know that we have a week, tops, to stop these rebels before you also become a target," Jack said. He put a hand on Katara's shoulder. "Gawain and I spent all night thinking about this. If you were so dead set on your mission, you would have taken Zuko out long ago and let Koda kill him. You didn't. That's enough for us. We're on your side, Kat."

"Yeah," Gawain said. "But I don't think it's going to go over well with Zuko once he finds out. Finding out the girl you've been dating had been sent to kill you doesn't really help a love life. Unless he goes for that kind of thing." Jack gave him a look. "What?" he said, defensively.

Katara giggled. "I know that he won't take the news well. Hell, the rest of the team will probably hate me when they find out. But I want to at least leave some good memories with them before I...go." She didn't say what was suppose to be truly said, but it was clear in the air. Before she died or was thrown into a dark hole for the rest of her life. Either by her former people's hands or by Zuko's when he found out.

The twins nodded in understanding. The rest of the group came around the corner. Katara took the opportunity to lean forward and grab the block. Gawain stuck his tongue out at her and she just laughed. She had faced her first obstacle and passed without harm. Of course, she was fortunate for the obstacle to have been Gawain and Jack, the closest things she had to brothers in the Fire Nation.

"And don't steal my stuff again," she said, as if she'd been giving them a piece of her mind.

"Okay," Gawain said, rolling his eyes.

Katara slipped the carving into her pocket and they started on their way again. As they continued, she lagged behind and motioned to Zuko. He pulled back until he was riding beside her. "What's up?" he asked.

Katara waited until they were out of hearing range of the others. "This talk of rebels has me thinking...Zuko, what would you do if you actually had a rebel? What would you do to them?"

Zuko stared at her in confusion. "Why do you want to know?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm just curious."

He nodded. "Well, I'd say I'd have to execute them on the charged of crimes against the Nation."

Katara felt the warmth in her freeze. "Is that as the Fire Lord? Or Zuko?" she asked softly.  
Zuko raised an eyebrow. "What is all this about, Katara?" he asked.

Katara only smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, Zuko," she said. She leaned over and kissed him. "It's nothing." She trotted up to join the others. Jack and Gawain looked over at her, questions in their eyes. But Katara shook her head.

They made the town right on schedule and performed as they had in the other town. They were received just as they had in the other town; with autographs, cheers, and offers to buy them drinks.

As Katara sat on the bench, listening to the music, she turned to Jack, an idea forming in her head. "Jack, weren't you and the others suppose to be practicing your dancing?"

Jack groaned. "I hate homework," he grumbled.

"Ah," Katara said, "But there are pretty girls here you can impress. Go dance with them. And tell the others to do so, too." Jack looked at her, confused. But he saw a plan in her eye and knew she was trying at something, so didn't question it.

He stood and walked over to a pretty girl. "May I have this dance?" he asked. She blushed and giggled, taking his hand. Jack motioned to Gawain and he started to ask a girl. Soon, the others were dancing with the girls.

Katara downed a glass of something that burned her throat, before she walked up to Zuko. "Care to dance?" she asked.

Zuko scooped her up in his arms and twirled her onto the dance floor. The band started up a lively dance. Zuko spun Katara around, her skirt flying around her. She laughed as he pulled her back to him. Her hands rested on his chest as they moved against each other. Katara could feel every curve of him against her. She looked up into his eyes and melted. His eyes held a blazing fire in them and it's heat was directed at her. Katara gasped and he pulled her closer, if that was even possible.

Katara took Zuko's hand and led him to the stairs. She turned and headed to the second floor, where she opened a door and pulled Zuko in. He stared to open his mouth to say something, but she pressed close and kissed him. Zuko cupped her waist in his hands and pulled back a little. "Katara," he said gruffly, "Do you realize what you are doing?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes," she said. "I want to remember this night."

Zuko captured her hands. "What are you talking about? Have you been drinking?"

Katara groaned in frustration. "I'm trying to be spontaneous here, Zuko," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

She sighed and smiled. "Do I need a reason?"

"No," Zuko said slowly. "But I don't want you to regret this. You may just be caught up in the feel of the festivities. You'll wake up tomorrow and-"

Katara pulled away. "Why are you trying to put me off?" she asked angrily. "Because I've seen the desire in your eyes and I can feel it when you kiss me." She paused.

"Is it because I'm a soldier?" she asked, remembering Breber's words. "Am I not good enough for the Fire Lord? Was I just a passing fancy. Oh, it's so hilarious to kiss the female guard and make her fall for you." Suddenly, her head began to ache. She sank onto the bed and rubbed her forehead.

Zuko kneeled before her and took her hands. "It's not that, Katara," he said. "I like you. A lot. But you've been drinking and I don't want you to-"

"Yeah, I heard you the first time. You don't want me to regret anything in the morning," Katara said. She gripped his collar and pulled him up so he had to rest his knees on the bed. "But I had already decided before I took the drink."

Zuko stared into her eyes and searched them. Slowly, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Katara wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with an equal amount of passion. He leaned forward, pushing her against the mattress. He settled on top of her, resting his weight on his forearms as he continued to kiss her.

Katara licked his bottom lip, drawing a deep groan from him. Her hands trailed down his back and to the hem of his shirt. She pulled it up and over his head, breaking the kiss for a moment. She stared at his pale skin for a moment, captivated by the reflection of light. She placed her tanned hand against his muscles and stared at the contrast. Zuko captured her lips, drawing her back to the moment. Katara wove her fingers into his loose hair and pulled him down so they fit together like puzzle pieces.

That night, there were fireworks in the night sky, as well as in the small tavern room where two lovers soon held each other in their arms.

I'm sorry that I didn't put the really _steamy_ scene in here, but I want to keep it clean. Well, clean-ish. I'll leave the love making in a different story. Deal? Hope you enjoyed, all my faithful reviews and readers.


	13. Chapter 13: Caught!

The morning rays woke Katara up. Strangely, her head didn't buzz or anything. She hoped it was because she was building up a tolerance to alcohol and not that she was ill. She and Zuko had made love many times during the night. Each time as great as the last. She stretched and winced.

"Sore?" a soft voice asked.

Katara looked over her shoulder and smiled. Zuko leaned up on his forearm and smiled down at her. She turned onto her back and traced his scar with her fingers. "A little," she said. "But nothing a little rest won't fix."

Zuko brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "You look beautiful in the morning light," he muttered, leaning down. He gently brushed his lips against hers. Katara shifted so she pressed against his chest and deepened the kiss. Zuko wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her close. She shivered in delight as he kissed across her cheek to behind her ear. He'd found the sensitive spot last night and used it whenever he could.

Katara sighed and turned her head to capture his lips again, when the door opened. She sat up in bed, holding the blanket around her chest as Jack looked and his eyes widened. His gaze darted from Zuko to Katara and back to Zuko again. Katara sheepishly waved. Jack blushed.

"Yes?" Zuko said, a little angry at the intrusion.

Katara bit back a giggle as she saw Jack look anywhere but the bed. "Um...Breber said we'll be moving out in about a half hour," he stuttered.

"Thank you, Jack," Zuko said. Jack nodded and backed out, his face going beet red.

As the door closed, Katara fell back, burying her face in her hands. "Oh, I'm so embarrassed!" she said. "This is going to be all over the team when we get down there."

Zuko chuckled. "Let them talk," he said, drawing her to his side. "Any regrets?" he asked.

Katara laughed. "You should have that printed on a card, you say it so many times," she said. She smiled, leaning on her arm, and captured his lips in a searing kiss. When she pulled back, the desire was flaming high in his eyes. "But, no. No regrets."

She threw back the blankets and reached for her clothes. She dressed quickly and turned to see Zuko watching her, his head propped on his palm. His gaze watched her as she leaned on the bed and kissed him. "You should get up and dressed," she mumbled, her gaze locked on his lips.

"We could be late," he suggested.

Katara chuckled. "Then Breber comes up and finds us-"

"I get the point," he said, chuckling. With a groan, he sat up and climbed out of bed. Katara watched him get dressed, taking pleasure in the sight. She might as well, because this was a moment to be stored away for a rainy day. Or any day as may be the case for her, once all of this came out.

Katara looked at the window and watched the sun rise. It was pretty nice. She closed her eyes and felt the heat on her face. Soon, the heat was behind her, warming her back. "We really do rise with the sun," Zuko mumbled.

Katara sighed and nodded. She was Fire Nation now. She did rise with the sun. She turned in his arms and smiled. "Yes," she said. "Now, we need to get downstairs and get something to eat before riding out."

"You sure you can ride?" Zuko asked. "We were up all night."

She laughed. "If you can stay in the saddle, then I can," she said, slipping out of his arms. They headed downstairs and were met with the gazes of her team. Jack was focused on his food, Gawain and Niceros were clapping, Riom was snickering, and Breber was looking worried but somehow approving in a way.

Katara and Zuko sat and had their breakfast as Breber went over the route they were going to take back. Now that they had found the rebels, and they had vanished off the side of the earth, it would seem; they could go home. Katara was only half listening, though. She was looking at everyone in the group. How they acted and how they threw food at each other when the others weren't paying attention.

Soon, it was time to head out. As Breber paid the bill for the room and food, the others headed out to the stables. As soon as the ostrich-horses were saddled and the team had mounted, they headed out, waving to some of the villagers as they passed. Katara stayed close to Zuko, only wincing slightly now and then when the saddle bumped her awkwardly. Zuko chuckled, and she smacked him in the shoulder.

They passed by the coast of a large lake around noon and stopped to rest. Zuko came and helped Katara from the saddle. She slid down, their bodies brushing each other. She leaned in to kiss him, but Jack and Gawain took that opportunity to splash them both with water. Katara jumped at the cold water and turned to them. But they had already run off toward the lake, stripping to their underthings.

Katara debated going after them, but chose not to when she saw them scream at the coldness of the water. Zuko laughed along with her and the others as the twins danced around, trying to get warm again.

Suddenly, she felt something was wrong. She stopped laughing and frowned, trying to figure out the reason for this feeling. The day had started very well, waking up in Zuko's arms and seeing the sun...but it was starting to fall away with the sense that something bad was going to happen.

She turned to Zuko to tell him, but it was too late. Men jumped from the woods, flashing steel and crying out. The sound and sudden movement caused the ostrich-horses to jump and run. Katara reached for her knives as Zuko drew two twin blades from behind his back. The pressed back to back, watching as some of the men circled them separately from their squad.

Katara recognized some of the men from the palace. They had been recruits that had watched her fight with Gerard. And, speaking of the devil, she saw him leading small group surrounding he and Zuko. "I was right in saying you slept to get in," he sneered.

She snorted and took her stance. "Why don't you just try me and see?" she said.

He smiled and lunged. Katara blocked his attack with one dagger and thrust another at his shoulder. He lunged backwards, the dagger missing him by inches. Gerard grabbed her arm and yanked her forward; away from Zuko, who was battling against three others, and making her off balanced.

Katara tried to pull back, but Gerard held tight to her wrist. He raised his arm holding the sword and brought it down. Katara ducked under his arm and came up behind him, jerking his arm back. Gerard grunted at the strain put on his socket.

She leaned forward and said, "How about now?"

Gerard struggled against her hold, but she kicked the back of his knees. He fell forward onto his knees, jarring his body. Katara raised her knife, intending to knock him out, but a shout drew her attention to the others.

They were on their knees, hands in the air, with at least three swords pointed at each of them. A tall man stood in the middle of the scene, totally unfazed. His black hair was pulled into the traditional topknot and he wore Fire Nation armor with the insignia of a general. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back. And he had the nastiest smile on his face.

"If I were you, Miss Katara," he said, "I would let go of Gerard and give yourself up. Unless you want your team to become quite ventilated."

Katara looked over at her team and then over at Zuko. He'd been subdued and was glaring at the man. "General Koun," he growled. "I should have known you had something to do with this. You were the one with the most to gain if I was killed and the throne open." He struggled, but the men holding him had a firm grip. "Were the rebels your men, as well?"

"Ah, the rebels," Koun said, smiling wickedly. "Those were just some low level Water Tribe people I paid to draw you out of your palace. But it is not you, who we are here for, your highness."

His gaze wandered over to Katara. "I suggest you let go of Gerard, Miss Katara. Fire Lord Zuko does not look comfortable. Then again, neither do your friends." The men around her team inched forward with their weapons. One of the swords even nicked Jack's neck enough for it to just bleed a little.

Katara stiffened and glared at the general. She hated this man right off the bat. But she let go of Gerard, who turned and tackled her to the ground. The air left her lungs as he turned her onto her stomach and bound her hands. He then hauled her to her feet, pulling at her sockets. She hissed in pain, but kept her head high.

"If you weren't here for me, who are you after?" Zuko said.

Koun chuckled. "Why, your sweet little friend here, my lord." He walked up to Katara and grabbed her chin, much as Koda had done. She was really starting to hate this man.

"Katara is a very extraordinary person with a lot of interesting secrets." Koun said, leaning closer. "Aren't you, my dear?" Katara looked into his eyes and saw something there that terrified her. Koun knew who and what she was. And he was going to tell Zuko and the others.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain on her head and everything went black. The last thing Katara heard, was someone calling her name.


	14. Chapter 14: Betrayal, Promises, Death

"Katara," a voice called. It sounded far off. "Katara, wake up."

Katara forced her eyes open and looked up. It hadn't been a dream. As she focused her eyes, she saw darkness until torches around the room were lit suddenly, blinding her temporarily. She blinked and looked around again. Her wrists were chained to pillars on either side of her and her hands were bound of movement. She slowly steadied herself on her feet, which wasn't easy. Koun must have drugged her while she was out. Across from her was a cell. Inside was her team. It looked like Zuko had been trying to get her to wake up.

A door creaked open and her least favorite person came in. "I'm glad to see you're up and comfortable," Koun said.

"I'm awake," she said, "But I'm far from comfortable. What do you want from me?"

Koun didn't answer her question. He stopped in front of her. He tilted her face up and smiled. "You're quite beautiful, even with the bruises Gerard gave you," he said. "I think I'll keep you as my slave after everything is done here." He tried to lean in for a kiss, but Katara brought her leg up and kicked him in the groin. She heard some cheering from the cell as he doubled over, but her victory was short lived.

Koun straightened and punched her in the stomach, making her gasp. The next thing she knew, she was unshackled and she fell to her knees. She reached for her knives, but they were all gone. Even the ones in her underthings. She should have rolled away for a hard boot connected with her side, sending her sprawling against a wall. She barely had time to curl into a ball before the kicks became harder.

She heard yelling and metal bars being shook from her team. Katara heard fire blasts and bet that Zuko was trying to melt the cell. But Koun was no idiot. He must have made it out a heat resistant metal or alloy.

Katara bit her lip so she wouldn't cry out, tasting blood on her tongue, but a whimper escaped as a kick landed on her ribs. She was too groggy from the drug to react to anything. But not enough that she didn't feel the pain. And, even if there was water around, she doubted she could bend any. At least, with that, she could hold onto her cover a bit more.

General Koun grabbed her hair and hauled her to her feet. He liked to be in control and used too much force when trying to gain control. Katara had a split lip and still weak, but she gathered enough energy to spit in his face. He back handed her, sending her to the ground again.

"Leave her alone!" Zuko yelled, rattling the cell's door. Katara wanted to smile at him, but she was having a hard enough time collecting her breath.

The general laughed mirthlessly. "How ironic," he said. "You love her and she was to betray you." He turned to Katara, who had made it to her hands and knees. "I must say, when they said you had a spy deep undercover, I never knew you'd hold on to the farce for so long." He crouched in front of her. "I wonder if you will tell everything if I wound you farther."

He made a fireball appear in his hand and grabbed her arm with his free hand. Koun drew the flame closer to her arm and the smell of burning flesh began to fill the air. Katara screamed and struggled, trying to get away from the flame. But Koun had too much of a grip on her.

"Stop it, you bastard!" Zuko cried, joined in by the rest of the squad's yells.

"Be a man! Fight us, not her!"

"Pick on someone your own size!"

Zuko heated his hands on the metal, trying to melt them with no avail. "Hurt me, not her!" he cried.

Koun paused in his torture and stood, letting Katara go. She slumped forward until her forehead touched the cold stone. She cradled her burnt arm to her middle and felt tears falling down her face.

"Yes," the general said. "Maybe that will get you to talk." He turned on his heel and he made his way to the cell. His fireball grew bigger and started to become a whip.

Katara looked up and saw Koun's next target. Zuko. She forced her back straight and yelled, "No!" Koun stopped and looked at her, eyebrow raised. Katara swallowed. To save the ones she loved, she'd have to betray them. "I'll talk. Just don't hurt them."

The general smiled his sickening smile and said. "Alright. I'll ask you some questions and I want you to answer truthfully." Katara nodded, catching the gaze of Zuko. She wanted to explain herself to him and willed him to read it in her eyes. She saw confusion in his eyes and it stabbed her like a knife.

"Who are you?" Koun said so everyone could hear.

Katara gritted her teeth. "My name is Katara."

"Where are you from?"

She swallowed. "From the South Pole Water Tribe." She saw hurt, anger, and betrayal join the confusion in Zuko's eyes.

"Why were you sent to the Fire Nation?" Koun asked, walking behind her. He was taking too much pleasure in her pain. This had been his original plan, all along. He had wanted her to tell her loved ones just how and why she had betrayed them. He wanted to see them all suffer, the sicko that he was. And it was working. She saw the pain on everyone's faces.

Katara focused on her lover's eyes. "I was to join the Fire Lord's elite guard and kill him to cross over into womanhood for my tribe."

Koun leaned forward and said, practically in her ear, "Were you to seduce him if it were necessary?"

Katara felt more tears fall down her face, but kept it out of her voice. "Yes." Zuko slammed his fist into the cell bars. His eyes were flashing anger and he was starting to smoke. "But I didn't make love to you because of the assignment, Zuko!" she said quickly, hoping he'd understand. "I did it because I lo-" She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because she was shoved forward.

She landed on her burnt arm and let out a scream of pain. And not just from her arm. It felt like she had a few cracked ribs, as well.

"I don't need to hear any hopeless romantic crap," Koun said, disgust in his voice. He lifted her up by her shoulders and forced her back into the shackles. She didn't fight him. She'd given up her fighting will when she'd seen the hollow look in Zuko's eyes when he looked at her. As if looking through her. She'd lost him and it was all her fault and doing.

"I'll jut leave you all to have a nice chat," Koun practically sang as he walked out of the room. The torches were still burning, showing her team's faces. Only Jack and Gawain tried to give her encouraging smiles, but those were still weak. Katara felt blackness close over her and she let it. Anything to let her escape the disappointed look in the rest of their eyes.

The door opened once more. Katara looked up, expecting that snake Koun. But it was Gideon, the captain who had apologized to her for his recruit's idiocy. He walked past the cell and stopped in front of her. He looked her up and down, hate and curiosity written on his features.

She spoke before he said anything. "I know you want to destroy me, Gideon," she said low enough for just him to hear. "But, instead, I want to call in that favor you promised me."

Gideon looked like he would rather go swimming in razors than fulfill a promise made to her. But it was his word of honor and he couldn't back down. He crossed his arms and sighed. "What do you want of me? He asked disdainfully.

Katara looked up and put a soft smile on her lips. Tears started threatened to come, but she'd cried enough today. The shackles had cut into her burnt arm and she thought her ankle had been twisted during the torture. But she would be strong. She only had her pride left. And even that had its limitations, now that she was loosing hope.

"I know you hate me," she began. "And I know Zuko and the others hate me. But promise me that you will help them get to safety."

That surprised Gideon. His eyebrows shot up. "Why should you care?" he asked. And he sounded genuinely curious.

Katara laughed weakly. "You won't believe me, but I love them. I don't want them to suffer or get hurt when I'm dead."

Gideon's angry mask broke for a second. "You're not scared?" he asked.

"Oh, I am. But I also accept that I'm going to die. Either by Koun's hand or by Zuko's once he gets out of here and all of this becomes known. I shall die. I just want everyone else safe."

Gideon stared. "You sound certain of that. What if they don't kill you?"

Katara smiled. "Then I will be blessed, indeed. I'll know that Ethna was watching over me and heard my prayer." She met his gaze. "But you and I both know that it is unlikely. Promise me you'll help them escape? On your honor."

He blinked slowly. Then, he pulled out his dagger and said, "I, Captain Gideon of His Fire Lord's military, promise to help the Nonpareils and the Fire Lord escape and come to no harm. On my honor."

Knowing that Gideon was going to take care of them, Katara relaxed, straining her arms against the shackles. She hissed in pain and braced her feet. She looked up at Gideon, sweat forming on her face, and nodded. "Thank you, Gideon. I will always remember this."

The captain nodded, turned, and left. Jack and Gawain pressed against the bars on the cell, staring at her. The rest of the group was leaning against the wall. They couldn't get far enough away from her, it seemed.

Jack was the first to speak. "What do you mean 'I shall die'?" he asked, drawing everyone's attention up.

Katara forced a smile. "You didn't think I'd live forever, did you? I mean, everyone's got to die."

"Yeah, but you're not suppose to die here," Gawain said. "In this creepy dungeon. We're suppose to bust out, kill the bad guy, and go home to drink down fire whisky and see everyone acting drunk and stupid."

Katara laughed, wincing as it jostled her injured rib. "You guys can do that and make fools out of yourself. I won't be there," she said. She saw the rest of her group moving forward. They were probably not believing their ears.

The sound of footsteps in a corridor drew her attention to the door. The door swung open and Koda walked in. He was carrying a sword in his hand and his eyes were cold as they settled on her. He advanced, bringing the sword up. Her squad yelled something, but she didn't hear any of it. All she could see was their faces, fearing for her.

She couldn't believe she was so calm. She should be terrified, but she wasn't. Katara just watched as the sword began to descend. She looked over at her team, meeting Zuko's eyes. "I love you," she said clearly, before she felt the metal slice through her chest.

The yelling faded in her ears and all she saw then, was Zuko's tear streaked face before black nothingness covered her sight.


	15. Chapter 15: Out of Body Experience

Something above her flashed repeatedly, until it was a steady stream of light. Slowly, a figure appeared before her. Katara stared for a moment, not believing what she saw. Ethna, her patron goddess, stood before her in her white robes and bag at her waist, smiling the same smile on her statue and her raven locks pulled back into its braid.

"Hello, Katara," she said in a voice that sounded like music and also as if she held many secrets that had not even been formed yet.

"How do you know my name?" Katara asked, licking her lips.

Ethna laughed. "You are my only charge, Katara, in a few centuries. And you also the only one who actually talks to me. I know everything about you."

Katara nodded slowly and looked around the darkness. "Where am I? The last thing I remember was Koda killing me."

"My dear," Ethna said. "You are in limbo. Or something like that. I never like the real name. But, anyway, you are here because I have come to ask you two important question. If you answer correctly, I can send you back to your friends. If you answer wrong, I will take you with me to my home and you shall live there forever, waiting for your friends to die and come there. They will look as you last remembered them, but they will have lived out their lives."

Katara swallowed hard. Those were some pretty high stakes. But, for the Nonpareils, anything and everything was worth it. She straightened her shoulders and said, "What is the first question you wish to ask me?"

Ethna smiled. "It is quite simple, my dear. Do you know why I am the most dangerous goddess out of all of them?"

Katara blinked. "The only thing I truly know about you is that you use to pose as a mercenary and kill humans," she said. She sighed heavily. "Truthfully, I don't know that much about you. The Elders never put you in with the rest of the patron gods and goddesses because they said you were dangerous. They said that I was raised the same way as you, but I have no idea what they mean."

Ethna nodded. "You were raised like me," she said, walking. Katara fell in step with the goddess. "We both had only our fathers, brothers, and cousins. We both worked as mercenaries and spies from a young age. We both had to go undercover in our enemy's nation." She stopped suddenly and turned to Katara. "And we both fell in love with the man we were to kill."

Katara's mouth dropped. "You fell in love with your target, as well?" she asked.

Ethna nodded. "His name was Landry. And a very powerful general." She started walking again and Katara, once again, fell into step. She didn't know where they were going, or if they were truly even walking, but she followed.

"My father, Zudon, the main god, believed Landry was becoming too powerful for a mortal," Ethna said. "He sent me down to kill him. So, I packed my things, turned myself into a mortal, and went to join Landry's forces." She looked over at Katara. "I worked myself to death, trying to prove that I was meant to be there. I met many men like Gerard and dealt with them very similar to as how you did. I applaud you for that, by the way."

"Thank you," Katara said, a smile coming to her lips as she remembered the incident.

Ethna nodded and smiled sadly. "But, once I met Landry, I instantly feel in love. Oh, I wouldn't admit it, and my team teased me mercilessly about it every chance they got. But I did love him. First as a friend, then as a lover. Exactly like you and Zuko."

At the sound of his name, Katara felt her heart break a little. "I really do love him," she said to no one in particular.

"But it's the hardest thing to do, to betray them so you can save them," Ethna said as if she had known exactly what it had been like. Katara looked up and nodded in agreement.

"It wasn't long before Landry and I were talking about running away together to get married. We loved each other. But, I was a goddess trapped in a mortal body until my mission was over, and Landry was a general who was about to move his troops into battle to secure a large stronghold. We had too many things on each of our plates."

Ethna's frown faded. Her eyes flashed in anger. "That was when we were caught. A battalion of our enemy's forces captured us. They knew what I was. My father had told them, having seen everything happening on earth. I knew I wasn't going to die, but I feared for Landry. I begged the enemy to kill me and save him."

The goddess blinked, tears falling from her eyes. She didn't reach up to touch them or brush them away. She continued with her story. "They tortured me until I told Landry everything. He was hurt and crushed. But, when it came time to kill me, he was crying. I told him one last time that I loved him and then...nothing."

She looked up and Katara was surprised by the fierceness in her eyes. "As soon as I was in my own world, I stormed up to my father and threatened to destroy everything if he didn't make his minions let Landry go. He laughed at me, saying that I was just a tool. I had no right to demand something like that."

Ethna took her charge's hand. "Katara, I am the most dangerous goddess because I went down in my true form and destroyed every last territory my father controlled. I did it without a second though and with only a flick of my finger."

Katara blinked and sniffed back tears. But Ethna continued. "After everything was done, I went in search for Landry. I looked everywhere, but he was no where to be found."

She released Katara's hand and squared her shoulders and back. "Now, the second question. How do you think this story ends? Your personal opinion."

Katara thought or a moment. She had never realized how close their lives had been. Like Ethna had said, they had both been killers and spies, they'd both been sent on a job by their leaders, and they'd both failed because they'd fallen in love with their targets.

She looked at her goddess. "If I was to be realistic, I would say that you never found Landry. He was probably moved to a prison in enemy territory, which you destroyed. But, if I were to go with my heart, I would hope that you found him. That he accepted you, all of you, and forgave you for keeping the secret from him. At least," Katara said to herself, "I hope that's what Zuko would do for me. I messed things up pretty bad when I was...you know, alive."

Ethna was silent for a moment and then began to giggle. Katara looked up at her in confusion. "My dear child," Ethna said. "I cannot tell you how much you remind me of myself in your position." She placed her hands on Katara's shoulders and said, "You will one day learn what happened to me. But, right now, you need to return and find out the ending to your own story."

With that, there was a flash of light and Katara saw only the black nothingness.


	16. Chapter 16: The Ending to All

Katara opened her eyes and saw Jack and Gawain above her. "Hey, she's coming around!" Gawain said excitedly.

"Oh, thank Agni," Jack said.

For a moment she was confused. She remembered being sliced with the sword. She remembered dying. She remembered...a bright light? No, that was just a dream. But everything else was just plain confusing. Why was she in a bed? And wrapped up in bandages? What had happened to them?

Katara smiled at them, but flinched. "You shouldn't smile," Jack said.

"Yeah. Your face looks like a punching bag," Gawain said.

"Ugh. You wish you looked this good," Katara said. She didn't recognize her voice. It sounded cracked. But the team laughed. She looked behind them and saw he others. Tears filled her eyes. They didn't hate her. Their presence said as much.

"Oh, come one, Kat," Jack said, getting nervous at her tears. "Don't cry."

"I'm sorry," she said, the tears coming quicker. She didn't know why, but she had to appologize for everything she'd done. "I'm so sorry. I should have-"

"There was nothing you could do, Katara," said an kind voice. She looked over and saw Iroh sitting in a chair, drinking tea.

"Iroh," she said.

He smiled. "You do not have to tell me anything, Katara. I knew from the very beginning who and what you are and were. Though I'm pleased that you have finally found a home with us."

Breber chuckled. "You made a very convincing Fire Nation soldier," he said.

Katara nodded. "Because I am one. Or, I was one. I don't think you'd take kindly to me, now."

Niceros smiled. "You're family, Kat. And, once you're all heeled, we're going to reinstate you as a Nonpareil. No one can take your place."

Katara smiled and flinched at the action. She hurt all over and she knew that no amount of medicine was going to cure her fast enough. She looked over at Jack and said, "Could you get me a bath? I need to heal." He gave her a funny look, but nodded and left to a separate room.

"I guess you do need a bath," Riom said. "You're starting to smell."

"You just make a girl feel pretty, don't you?" she said. The others chuckled. "Why don't you hate me? I mean, I could see it clearly on your faces."

The group became silent. Finally, Breber spoke up. "We were, for a while. I mean, you'd been part of our family and we find out you were here to kill Zuko. But Jack and Gawain filled us in on everything and how you threw away your chance to be part of your people's lives for us. We all understood after that...though it did take us a while to fully accept it."

"How did you escape?" Katara asked, using small sentences. Her strength was starting to fail and she needed it to heal.

"Well," Riom said, taking over the answering. "After we watched you...die...something just snapped in Zuko. Suddenly, he broke the entire cell with one fire blast. He burnt Koda to a crisp, and released you from your bonds. I don't know how he did it."

"Then," Niceros added, taking over the story. "That captain, Gideon, got us out of there. We had been held in an underground building. That's why there was no light. By the time we got to the surface, we noticed that Zuko wasn't with us. But, he followed behind with a dead look on his face."

Gawain took over, then. "We didn't ask any questions. We just got transportation and got you back to the palace. We thought you were dead. But imagine our relief when the healer found a pulse. The entire palace is buzzing about our mission, though you being what you were hasn't made the story, thank Agni. The healer sowed you up as good as she could, but you should rest for a while."

Katara smiled. "All I need is a good bath."

"Which is right here," Jack said, coming out of the room he'd vanished into a while back. He and Gawain helped Katara up and carried her to the bathroom. The tub was filled with hot water and they slowly lowered her into it, bandages and all.

The moment her body was submerged, she closed her eyes and the water began to glow. "What the-" Jack said, stepping back.

Iroh chuckled from the other room. "Katara is a master waterbender, boys," he said.

Katara ignored all of them as they got over their shock. She focused on patching up her body as best she could. The aching and pain faded until it was faint and not as prominent. When she was done, she'd mended her ribs, fixed her ankle, and the burn on her arm was starting to vanish. She'd need a lot more baths when she had the strength, but this was good for the time being.

Jack and Gawain helped her out of the tub and dried her off with towels. Katara didn't have the strength to bend the water off her body and out of her hair. After she was dry, she crawled back into the bed. The group stayed with her a while.

"Why was Koda there, do you know?" she asked.

Jack and Gawain exchanged looks. "We met up with that woman, Yui, after we escaped. Her team had finished everyone else off. But she said that Koda and his group had teamed up with Koun long ago in hopes of taking both you and Zuko out of the picture. Koun would get the throne, being a distant cousin, and Koda would take your spot as top assassin. She hadn't realized it until it was too late," Jack said.

"We found this," Gawain said. He reached in his pocket and pulled out her pendent. He fastened it around her neck and Katara smiled in gratitude.

She looked around and finally asked the question she had been holding in. "Where's Zuko?"

No body spoke for a moment. Finally, Iroh said, "Men, why don't you let me talk to Katara over a nice cup of tea? You all can go get some sleep." The men nodded. One by one, they kissed her forehead and left.

Iroh pulled his chair up and handed her a cup of tea. She was already sitting in an upright position. After she took a sip, she said, "What happened to Zuko?"

The old man sighed. "I'm sorry to say, that he has withdrawn into himself," he said. "He has become unemotional, unattached. He doesn't want to see anyone and works himself to exhaustion. I think he took the truth, and seeing you die in front of his eyes, pretty bad."

Katara nodded. "Iroh," she asked. "Am I a fool for loving him?"

He looked at his tea and then at her. "The heart is a mysterious wonder, Katara. It loves, it breaks, and it heals sometimes. But it cannot be healed with waterbending or with medicine. It usually takes time." He patted her hand. "You must listen to it and follow what it says. No one can tell you if you are a fool, but you."

Katara smiled at him. Iroh patted her hand once more before standing. "Iroh," she said as he reached the door. He turned to look at her. "I don't think I could ever go back to being a soldier. Not if it meant protecting the one whom I loved and broke his heart. Is it possible to join you in The Ginseng Dragon? Making tea and playing Pai Sho? I might even get good at it."

Iroh chuckled. "I will expect you the moment you are completely healed," he said, understanding. "Now, sleep."

Katara closed her eyes and drifted on into sleep.

It took three extra days for Katara to heal than she thought, thanks to her waterbending, her daily visits from the guys, and the medicine from the healer. She was fascinated by her patient's quick recovery. Katara gave credit to the medicine. But, after she was able to stand on her own two feet without wobbling too much, she had changed into the red robe uniform of a Ginseng Dragon hostess. It was tight around her middle and top, showing her curves, but flared out from the hips down. There were slits on either side, going to about her knees. She was going to stay in the apartment above the shop until she could find other lodgings.

The guys didn't like the idea of her leaving, saying that she had set the bar too high to let any other female into the squad. But they supported her, understanding her reasons. They even promised to drop in every week and kick her butt at Pai Sho. Katara had left that meeting, smiling and laughing. No on could replace her men. But there was one man she wish she could at least talk to. But no one had seen Zuko since he'd come back, except to give him meals and new work to do.

Katara pushed that thought out of her mind and walked into the tea shop. The smell of tea hit her and she smiled. Home. It was just like home. Iroh looked up from his game and smiled. "Ah, Katara," he said, slowly getting up.

She walked up and said, "Good morning, Iroh. I'm sorry I'm so late."

"Nonsense," he said, leading her to the back. As she stepped inside, it took her back to when she was 8 and would watch him make his famous teas. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said, reaching over to a counter. "I found this a while ago." He held up the picture.

Katara stared. It was the picture she'd seen when she'd first come back to this place. The grinning girl who'd looked so happy. Now that she was holding it, she saw that it was her. 8 year old her. She'd given this to Iroh the day her family had left back to the tribe. "I can't believe you still have this," she said.

"I missed that little girl," Iroh said. "But I now have a beautiful woman here to be my company. By chance, are you going to the ball tonight?"

Katara started at the change in topic. "Ball?" she asked.

"Yes. Zuko's birthday ball." Iroh said.

Katara shrugged, trying to hid her surprise. Was it already hear? Where did the time go. "I wasn't really planning on going," she said.

Iroh smiled. "Well, I would love to go, but I don't have a date."

Katara smiled at the hint. "Would you mind if I went with you? I'd hate to see you be put out."

"That's a marvelous idea," Iroh said. "We can leave around 7."

Katara spent the rest of the day serving tea and smiling. Many people recognized her from the news sheets that were going around. They marveled at her recovery, congratulated her on destroying the rebels, and wished her luck on her career change. By the end of the night, she was exhausted from running around. She seriously didn't know how Iroh did it.

But, at closing time, she hurried up to her apartment and changed into the dress that had been originally made for her attendance to tonight's gathering. Lady Aza had said that it was already made and it was the least she could do for a hero. If only she knew the truth, she'd faint dead away. But Katara changed into the dress and looked at herself in the mirror.

The top was a light red with long bell shaped sleeves. The bottom was a darker red with a flame embroidered in the corner. Both the hem, sleeves, and neckline were embroidered with gold. And it as tied together with a golden silk sash.

As Katara stared at he reflection, she pulled her hair into a top knot and secured it with a red ribbon. A few strands escaped and framed her face. She stared and saw a beautiful woman. Yes, she was a woman and she felt it and was proud.

She hurried down the stairs in her red slippers and found Iroh waiting for her by the door. He was dressed in a red royalty robe, smiling as always. "You look beautiful," he said, offering his arm.

Katara took it and said, "Thank you. You look quite dashing."

They walked to the palace and entered the ballroom. They went unnoticed by the crowd and were soon able to find the Nonpareil team. The looked up as she approached and most of their jaws dropped at the sight of her. Breber was the only one who moved forward, a woman on his arm. Her hair was dark raven colored and she had a commanding nature about her.

"Katara, I would like to introduce Her Majesty, Princess Azula. My lady, this is Katara. She is the one who saved us from the rebels."

The woman smiled and bowed her head. "It is an honor to meet the one who saved Captain Breber. I thank you, my lady." With that, Breber led Azula onto the dance floor.

"How odd," Iroh said. "She's always so much more...mean."

"That's what happens when you're in love, Iroh," Katara said, smiling at the dancing couple. Katara turned to the others and chatted for a while. She met Ty lee, Mai, and Gawain's unfortunate dance partner, Suki. But Suki wasn't hold a grudge anymore and was glad to be Gawain's partner, now that he'd practiced.

Suddenly, the room became quiet. Katara turned and froze as she saw he reason why. Zuko walked into the room. He looked tired and stressed, but held himself with authority. People bowed to him as he passed.

His gaze swept the ball room and froze on her. She tried to smile, but it wouldn't come. They stared at each other, unaware of everyone else staring at both of them. Slowly, Zuko walked toward her. The crowd parted for him.

Katara took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he stopped in front of her. She tried to open her mouth with something to say, but Zuko just grabbed her in a tight hug. Katara was shocked for a moment, but buried her face into his shoulder and embraced him.

He pulled back after a moment and cupped her face. "You look beautiful," he whispered.

Katara smiled. "Where have you been hiding? I missed you during my recovery?" she said.

She expected him to say something along the lines of work, but he said, "I was scared that, if I saw you, I'd loose you. I don't know why, but it thought that. I don't want to loose you. So I locked myself away in my work, hoping to forget you. But I can't. I love you."

"What about-" she didn't get to finish. Zuko kissed her firmly, much to the excitement of everyone at the ball.

He pulled back. "I want you, Katara, to be mine. Marry me?" he asked?

Katara stared up at him and tears started to appear. "Yes," she said. The room burst into cheering as the couple kissed once more. She finally got what she wanted. A family, a husband, and a life where people loved her. She couldn't be happier.

A month after that, they were married. The Nonpareil were the present, as well as Azula, as Breber's date, and Iroh. Katara worked in the tea shop now and then whenever Iroh went to Ba Sing Se. Everyone loved her and never found out about her past.

She gave birth to five children in all. Every last one of them was spoiled rotten by the Nonpareils. No girl ever made the bar Katara had set, but Suki filled her spot with no problem. Katara's water tribe family visited often, breaking a lot of rules to do so. But they didn't care.

Katara finally found out what happened to Ethna in the end. She had found Landry in his home town and, he too, had accepted Ethna. There wasn't much after that, but Katara knew that Ethna was happy with her lover.

Katara never was happier with her life. She had everything she ever wanted. She had her daggers and love.


End file.
